Most of the Iraqi advances in Mosul have been in the west
such as Yarmouk (far left), which was just captured by the Golden Division
(Institute for the Study of War)
The Iraqi forces (ISF) have been preparing for a new
offensive in west Mosul. That has resulted in a relative pause in operations.
On April 6 the Golden Division did take Yarmouk
2 in the western side of the city. Otherwise the ISF were preparing to
storm the Old City in the east along the Tigris River. General Najim Abdullah
al-Jabouri of the Ninewa Operations Command said
that the attack upon the Old City would rely less on airstrikes due to civilian
casualties.
The 9th Division and Hashd cleared
three more cities to the west of Mosul. Those units were originally scheduled
to open a new front in Mosul, but now appear to be focused upon cutting off
escape routes from the city.
A new casualty figure was released for the Jadida
incident. A Lieutenant Colonel from the Civil Defense forces, which dig people
out of the rubble in Mosul, said that 278 bodies had been found at the site.
While the Americans have admitted that a Coalition air strike was likely
responsible, the Iraqis are still denying that, and downplaying the casualties.
The Defense Ministry claims there was no air strike, and a spokesman from the
Golden Division said only 100-130 people died. This is part of pattern by the
Iraqi government to discredit any stories that talk about heavy casualties in
the war against the Islamic State.
From April 6-7 there were more attacks on civilians. An air
strike was blamed
for 16 deaths, and a Coalition strike for 3 more in
west Mosul. The Islamic State hit
6 neighborhoods, including one in the liberated east with mortars
leaving
13 fatalities and 30 injured. The group executed another 3 for attempting to
escape its grasp.
The victims of the battle are overwhelming the health
facilities in Ninewa and Kurdistan. The manager of a state
hospital in Irbil said there was no room in the intensive care unit due to
displaced patients from Mosul. Many are going to private clinics because the
public hospitals are full. To the south of Mosul in the town of Athbah
there is a field hospital. A nurse said that besides wounds from the fighting,
almost all the patients were suffering from malnutrition. This was a sign of
the severe shortages within Mosul.
The insurgents were still launching futile attacks
upon
the ISF to the west of Mosul. 2-3 towns were assaulted
by infantry and car bombs. Usually these happen in open country and are easily
destroyed.
The Associated
Press visited the town of Hamdaniya, which was freed five months ago. The
town is to the east of Mosul. The village is largely abandoned. Some residents
talked about having nothing to go back to, while others blamed the government
for not providing any aid or rebuilding. This is true of many more towns in
Ninewa that have been freed. Few people have returned, and many of them have
heavy damage, which is not being repaired because the government is too busy
with the war, lacks the funds or interest right now.
The displacement crisis continued. Up to 15,000 are reaching
Hamam
al-Alil south of Mosul each day, which is the main screening center. Many
are now staying in the town in tents rather than going to camps, which are
overflowing. A new camp was opened
in the area, and filled in two days. The U.N. recently said that it doesn't
have the resources to serve all of the people coming out of the city, and that
the international community is not providing enough help either. After a two-month
pause a large number of people are going back to east Mosul. Around 5,800 went
there in the last few days. Many said they were leaving because there was no
work in the camps and were concerned about stories of looting inside the city.
A total of 86,000 have returned in Ninewa overall. There is a constant movement
of people in and out of the city, which is usually determined by the level of
violence going on.
SOURCES
Baghdad
Post, "16 killed in airstrikes in Mosul's right bank," 4/6/17
Bas News, “Iraqi Forces Recapture Another District from IS
in Western Anbar,” 4/6/17
Fache,
Wilson with Faraj, Salam, "Iraqi helicopter downed in fight to retake
Mosul," Agence France Presse, 4/6/17
Al
Forat, "The popular crowd destroys a car bomb southwest of Mosul,' 4/6/17
-
"The popular crowd kills 30 thugs and destroys three car bomb west of
Mosul,' 4/6/17
Iraq
Oil Report, "Inside Mosul: April 6, 2017," 4/6/17
Al
Maalomah, "The death of three people from one family in bombing by
international coalition in Mosul," 4/6/17
Al Mada, “The liberation of a neighborhood in western Mosul
after two weeks of slow operations,” 4/6/17
Mustafa, Nehal, “Besieged residents in Mosul east cats,
grass to survive,” Iraqi News, 4/6/17
-
"PMUs kill 30 IS militants, confront attack, western Mosul," Iraqi
News, 4/6/17
Neuhof, Florian, “Mosul Has Become History’s Greatest
Hostage Crisis,” Daily Beast, 4/5/17
New Sabah, “Joint Operations develop new military plans to
liberate what remains of West Mosul,” 4/7/17
Rudaw,
"Iraqi military helicopter shot down over Mosul skies," 4/6/17
Shafaaq
News, "Eight people were killed and wounded, including children, in a
house in Mosul," 4/6/17
- “This disrupts the advance of troops in the Old City of
Mosul,” 4/6/17
-
"Worshipers injured by shelling targeting liberated Mosul," 4/7/17
UN High Commissioner for Refugees, “Mosul Weekly Protection
Update, 25-31 March, 2017,” 3/31/17
Xinhua, “Iraqi forces recapture neighborhood from IS in
western Mosul,” 4/6/17
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