(Baghdad Post)
(Ninewa Media Center)
As the battle for Mosul comes to a close the Islamic State destroyed
the iconic Nouri Mosque and al-Hadbaa Minaret. IS blew up the historic site,
while claiming that an American airstrike was responsible. The destruction of
the mosque was due to the rapid advance of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF),
which were said to be only meters away. The Federal Police were moving
from the south on Bab al-Jadid and Ras al-Jada. The Golden Division and the army’s
16th Division were in the northwest in Farouq.
The Rapid Reaction Division was coming down from Shifa in the northeast, which
was recently freed. The army’s 9th Division was doing clearing
duties in that neighborhood, and then will move
along the Tigris River. The strategy is to attack upon multiple fronts and
converge towards the middle dividing the Old City into several sections, which
will then be swept through.
BuzzFeed
wrote about the human losses caused by airstrikes in Mosul. It documented seven
houses that were hit by planes where civilians were killed. Sometimes they were
targeted because the Islamic State was nearby and sometimes they were not.
People said they lived in fear because anytime there were IS men around they
felt like they could be targeted by the Iraqis or Coalition. The Americans
claim they have plenty of checks on airstrikes, but there have been more since
Trump became president, and the authority to call them in has been devolved to
lower ranking officers. The U.S. led Coalition only has two people
investigating casualty cases, and has only been able to look through a fraction
of them. The Iraqis were not a focus in the article, but they have been far
more indiscriminate especially with artillery. The Federal Police for example
have been singled out for using artillery anytime they run into opposition. All
together this has led to a huge number of casualties.
The divisions created by the Islamic State continued to
impact Ninewa. Rudaw
had another report on the group in Qayara, south of Mosul that is trying to
expel IS families. The group said relatives of IS would be free to leave, but
if they stayed they would face tribal justice. The Qayara government supported
their efforts. The Ninewa council announced
that feuds had broken out in several displacement camps outside Mosul over
suspected IS members and their families living there. Yesterday, the Mosul city
government also let it be known that they would not allow any IS families to
live there, and they would be sent to special camps, which have yet to be
created. A Ninewa policeman said that families could not be punished for the
actions of their family members, but the central government is completely
absent from these matters. That means local officials, tribes, civil groups,
and people with guns are able to dole out their own forms of justice, which consist
of group punishments.
Displacement from Mosul continued, while the Displacement
Ministry wants more people to return. The United Nations counted
425,982 displaced on June 20. From June 18-20 11,000 fled Mosul. Most came from
Shifa, which was just freed. The ISF is now moving people from west to east Mosul
via a pontoon bridge and 9,000 have recently taken that route. The Displacement
Ministry pointed
out that most of the city was now liberated, but many people are not going home.
They want that process to increase as many camps, especially those south of
Mosul are full or over capacity.
SOURCES
AIN, “Meters away
from the end of al-Baghdadi’s alleged caliphate in Iraq,” 6/21/17
Baghdad Post, “Iraqi
Federal police retake 40% of Mosul’s Bab al-Baid,” 6/21/17
- “ISIS detonates
Mosul’s Nouri Mosque, Hadba Minaret,” 6/21/17
- “Security forces
‘few meters away’ from al-Nouri Mosque: Sources,” 6/21/17
Bas News, “Iraqi
Forces 200m Away from Grand Mosque in Mosul: CTS Commander,” 6/21/17
- “Major Efforts
Needed to Bring Life in Mosul Back to Normal: Official,” 6/21/17
Bosch, Marius,
“Iraqi forces advance on Mosul mosque where IS declared caliphate,” Reuters,
6/21/17
Al Ghad Press, “The
commander of the anti-terrorism forces told Al Ghad Press: one area separates
us from the liberation of Farouq district and killed 300 Daesh,” 6/21/17
Giglio, Mike, “These
Are the Civilian Victims Of The US-Led Campaign Against ISIS,” Buzz Feed,
6/19/17
Iraq Newspaper, “Iraq Newspaper Reporter In Mosul: The
Attack On The Nouri Mosque Starting Now And Four Units Participating In The
Battle,” 6/21/17
- “Iraq Newspaper Reporter In Mosul: The Bombing Of the
Hadbaa Minaret,” 6/21/17
- “Iraq Newspaper Reporter In Mosul: Iraqi Forces Only A
Hundred Meters Away From The Nouri Mosque And A Booby-Trap in The Shifa
District,” 6/21/17
- “Iraq Newspaper Reporter In Mosul: The Ninth Division Ends
Its Work In The Shifa District And Goes To Tal Afar And Starts The Storming Of
The Nouri Mosque,” 6/21/17
- “Iraq Newspaper Reporter In Mosul: Saadi Meters From The
Nouri Mosque In Khafaji And We Will Push Them Into The Tigris,” 6/21/17
Iraqi Media Network,
“Yarallah: Our forces are liberating buildings and strategic objectives,”
6/21/17
Mostafa, Mohamed, “Iraqi forces invade Islamic State’s
birthplace mosque in western Mosul,” Iraqi News, 6/21/17
- “Nineveh council
says feuds break out between Mosul civilians and IS families,” Iraqi News,
6/21/17
Rudaw, “Locals in
Iraqi town take matters into their hands to expel ISIS families,” 6/21/17
Shafaaq News, “Short
distance separates the Iraqi forces from Al-Nouri Mosque and Al-Hadbaa Minaret
in Mosul,” 6/21/17
UN High Commissioner
for Refugees, “Iraq Situation: UNHCR Flash Update – 20 June 2017,” 6/21/17
Xinhua, “Iraqi forces fight fierce clashes in Mosul’s old
city,” 6/21/17
- “Iraqi forces push further near Mosul’s al-Nuri mosque,”
6/21/17
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