The Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) are making their final push
to free west Mosul. The Harmat
2 and Islah
al-Zirahi 1 neighborhoods were freed. The Islah al-Zirah 2 neighborhood was
attacked, and there was still clashes going on in Iqtisadin and
the Old
City. Iraqi commanders are hoping that the battle for the city will be
finished in a few days. It will probably be a few weeks, but the end is in
sight.
The Hashd made the second part of their push towards
the Syrian border. The goal was to take Qayrawan and Baaj. Four villages were seized,
and two more were under assault. Baaj is where many Islamic State leaders were
suspected to have fled when the Mosul campaign started.
Reuters
talked with residents of Mosul about their living conditions. Many complained
about receiving no salaries, services and a lack of food. Because most of the
city has no water, many people have dug wells. The water is unsafe so people
don’t use it for drinking, but boil it for washing and other needs. During the
second week of May the United Nations and government repaired a water
sanitation plant. 25 more have to be fixed. Officials have estimated that it
could cost $35 billion to fix all the facilities in Ninewa province. Services
are slowly recovering in Mosul. Several neighborhoods have been re-connected to
the power grid as well. The problem is the time it has taken to get this work
done. Bigger picture the government doesn’t have the plans nor the funds to
rebuild the city or the province either.
SOURCES
Aboulenein, Ahmed,
“Iraqis dig their own wells in battle-scarred Mosul,” Reuters, 5/12/17
AIN, "Urgent liberation of second Harmat
district, Mosul," 5/12/17
Mostafa, Mohamed, “Army, PMUs kill 36 militants in fresh
offensive on Nineveh-Syria borders,” Iraqi News, 5/12/17
- “Iraqi forces take over major IS haven in western Mosul,
kill 2 senior leaders,” Iraqi News, 5/12/17
Rudaw, “Hashd al-Shaabi launch multi-front operation against
ISIS west of Mosul,” 5/12/17
UN High Commissioner for Refugees, “UNHCR Mosul Emergency
Response Since October 2016 (11 May 2017),” 5/11/17
Xinhua, "Iraqi forces gain ground from IS
in western Mosul," 5/12/17
- “Iraqi
paramilitary forces launch operation to free border areas with Syria,” 5/12/17
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