In the two days since the Mosul campaign officially
restarted there has not been much movement. On the first day the Quds
neighborhood in east Mosul was freed for the fourth time. On the second day a
pharmaceutical plant in Bawiza outside of the Mosul to the north was liberated,
and the Iraqi Forces (ISF) were trying to secure the Mosul-Tal Skurf road. The new plan
is to attempt a double pincer move with army and police pushing from the north
and south meeting with the Special Forces Golden Division in the center. So far
the ISF have only been trying to secure areas that they have already freed or
entered before.
On December 30 there was fighting Hadbaa in the
north, Palestine,
Intisar, Salam,
Nassir, and Shaimaa in the southeast, and Quds and Karama
in the center, while other units were trying to secure the areas they had
already freed. The Islamic State counter attacked in Sukar,
Falah, and Hadbaa
in the north, Tamim
in the center, and Nassir
and Wahda
in the southeast. In the process four suicide bombers were killed, and
twenty-six car bombs were destroyed. Again, all of these areas have been fought
over in the last two months.
The Iraqi press reported
that the Islamic State was pulling its families out of the city and sending
them west. Similar stories have been published since the start of the battle
for Mosul in October to show that the insurgents were collapsing. The fight
they’ve put up so far has shown that hasn’t happened yet.
The Associated
Press and the Los
Angeles Times both had a pieces on the difficult job the security forces
have screening people for Islamic State members and sympathizers. AP talked
with a man from IS occupied west Mosul who was caught in east Mosul. The ISF
thought he was an IS member and beat him to try to get him to confess. Other
people complained that the government forces were not letting them return to
liberated areas. The Los Angeles Times on the other hand observed the courts
that have been set up to process people. Everyone claimed that they were innocent,
but if a person testified against someone they were automatically sent to a
criminal court. The judges hear dozens and dozens of cases each day. This is a
very difficult process that can take a long time. There are some abuses going
on, and some IS members are being missed, but it is necessary.
Finally, a Kurdish official complained
again about being overwhelmed with casualties. Many of the ISF and civilian
casualties from the Mosul campaign have been sent to hospitals in Irbil. Those
facilities are running out of space and medicine for all of the people they are
seeing. The Kurdish Health Minister Rekawt Hama Rashid said that over 13,500
have been treated so far, and they can’t take anymore. With only about 25% of
Mosul occupied Irbil will have to make do or more hospitals will have to be
opened because there is a lot more fighting laying ahead.
SOURCES
Adel,
Loaa, "Army forces repel Islamic State's attack near Mosul," Iraqi
News, 12/30/16
- “Iraqi forces face Islamic State car bombs, fierce
resistance in south Mosul,” Iraqi News, 12/30/16
- “Islamic State abruptly evacuates its members from 4 areas
near Mosul,” Iraqi News, 12/30/16
AIN, “Federal Police: 66 terrorists killed in Nassir
neighborhood in left coast Mosul,” 12/30/16
- “Federal police chief: Daesh crumbles on the left coast
neighborhoods and killed 25 of its leaders,” 12/30/16
- “Four Daesh leaders killed in the left coast Mosul,”
12/30/16
Al Alam, “Fresh VIDEO: Iraqi Army Forces Launch Massive
Attacks against ISIS in Mosul,” 12/30/16
- “Fresh VIDEO: Iraqi Civilians Flee as Fighting against
ISIS Resumes near Mosul,” 12/30/16
- “Join Forces Liberate 2 Villages, Kill 70 ISIS Members in
Northern Mosul,” 12/30/16
Bas News, “Over 13,000 injured from Mosul Operation Received
Treatment in KRG,” 12/30/16
Coles, Isabel and Kalin, Stephen,
"Iraqi offensive launch second phase of Mosul offensive against Islamic
State," Reuters, 12/29/16
Dunlop, W.G., “Iraq forces fight muddy street battle against
IS in Mosul,” Agence France Presse, 12/30/16
Hendawi, Hamza, “Some in Mosul wary of return of Iraq’s
government,” Associated Press, 12/30/16
Hennessy-Fiske, Molly, “These judges decide the fate of
Islamic State fighters and collaborators,” Los Angeles Times, 12/29/16
Hicks, Tyler, “Along Mosul’s Front Line, Desperate Civilians
and Dug-In troops and Fighters,” New York Times, 12/29/16
Kalin, Stephen, “Iraqi forces face fierce Islamic State
combat in south Mosul,” Reuters, 12/30/16
Al
Mada, "Anti-Terrorism forces destroy four car bombs left coast of
Mosul," 12/30/16
-
"Federal Police kill senior Daesh leader and blow up car bomb east
Mosul," 12/30/16
-
"Killing six Daesh members and destruction of car bomb southeast
Mosul," 12/30/16
Al Maalomah, “War Media: The destruction of dozens of car
bombs in Ninewa We Are Coming operation,” 12/30/16
Al
Masalah, "Four suicide bombers killed trying to infiltrate village north
Mosul," 12/30/16
-
"Freed pharmaceutical plant north of Mosul," 12/30/16
- “Nineveh operations: left side of Mosul will be fully
liberated,” 12/30/16
NINA, “/70/ terrorists killed, including the Military Commander
of the north of the left coast of Mosul,” 12/29/16
- “Federal Police Forces Enter The Stadium Between Sumer and
Palestine,” 12/29/16
- “More than /100/ elements of Daesh killed on the left
coast of Mosul,” 12/29/16
- “Urgent../24/ terrorists killed within the south-eastern
axis of Mosul,” 12/29/16
- “Urgent..The Anti-terrorism frees the first Al-Quds
neighborhood in Mosul,” 12/29/16
Otten, Cathy, “Mosul residents face battle for survival,”
UNHCR, 12/28/16
Rudaw,
"Coalition strikes kill dozens of ISIS militants on second day of renewed
Mosul operation," 12/30/16
Shafaaq News, “Army repels attack north Mosul, killing one
Daesh member,” 12/30/16
- “Army repels Daesh attack on neighborhood of east Mosul,”
12/30/16
- “Battle of Mosul: tangible progress and the killing of
tens of Daesh,” 12/30/16
- “Clear outline of Battle of Mosul.. The new target,”
12/30/16
- “Iraqi forces face fierce resistance from Daesh in south
Mosul,” 12/30/16
- “Limited progress on second day of second phase of the
Battle of Mosul,” 12/30/16
- “A security commander announced killing 25 foreign
fighters and Daesh leader in the left coast of Mosul,” 12/30/16
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