The Iraqi forces were active across all sections of west
Mosul. First, the Golden Division took the Siha neighborhood
in the middle of the city. It was still fighting in Tanak as well. General Maan
Saadi claimed that the Golden Division was surrounding the Old City, but it
continues to move north rather than to the east where the Old City is. The
police were still assaulting
that district from four directions, but the fight still appeared to be
deadlocked. A brigade from the army’s 16th Division, which was doing
security duties in east Mosul was transferred
to the northwest of the city to join the 9th Division and the Hashd.
Those units reached just outside of Mosul a few days ago, but there have been
no reports of movement since then, although government maps claim they have
seized several areas in the northern perimeter of west Mosul. Since the Iraqi
government always likes reporting its victories the maps may be an
exaggeration. The Golden Division remains the most effective force of the
government. It has continued to gain neighborhood after neighborhood in the
west and center of west Mosul. The police on the other hand announced that they
were renewing operations in the Old City after a month long pause, but have
still not made much headway. Fighting in the district is very intense going
from street to street, house to house, sometimes room to room. The police may
be over relying upon artillery and air strikes as well rather than clearing out
areas on the ground.
An Iraqi security source told Kuwait’s Alaan that 7,970
soldiers, police and Hashd had died
since the start of the Mosul campaign in October 2016. Sporadically figures
like these are released. Unfortunately there is no way to verify them since the
government is not reporting its losses.
More civilian casualties were reported in Mosul. IS Mortars
hit three neighborhoods leaving 6 wounded. The insurgents also executed
42 people for refusing to join its ranks, and another 15 who would not let the
group use its homes.
Bas
News reported a flare up between the Hashd and the Peshmerga. A Hashd unit
went to a Peshmerga base in Bartella to the east of Mosul, took down the
Kurdish flag, and put up an Iraqi one. No other information was given on what
provoked the incident or what happened afterward.
More and more people are returning to their homes in Ninewa.
The International Organization for Migration recorded
a drop in the registered number of displaced from 331,140 on April 18 to
330,012 on April 20. Overall, 103,950 people have either gone back to their
original place of origin or moved to east Mosul waiting to relocate back to the
west when it is freed.
SOURCES
Adel, Loaa, “Hashd al-Shaabi takes down Kurdistan flag from
PUK headquarters in east of Mosul,” Iraqi News, 4/22/17
Baghdad Post, “Intensive clashes between Iraqi security
forces, ISIS in Mosul,” 4/22/17
Chmaytelli, Maher, “Hundreds more join Mosul exodus as Iraqi
forces retake two more western districts,” Reuters, 4/22/17
International Organization for Migration, “Displacement
Tracking Matrix Emergency Tracking Factsheet #25 – Mosul Operations From 17
October To 20 April,” 4/20/17
Mostafa,
Nehal, "42 civilians executed over refusal to join IS in Mosul,"
Iraqi News, 4/22/17
- “63 targets controlled, 20 IS leaders killed since
February in western Mosul: Federal Police,” Iraqi News, 4/22/17
Rudaw, “Iraqi army announces liberation of new west Mosul
neighbourhood,” 4/22/17
Shafaaq News, “The arrival of military reinforcements to
accelerate the liberation of the last sections of West Mosul,” 4/22/17
-
"Daish missile attacks wound civilians in Mosul," 4/22/17
No comments:
Post a Comment