Mosul Campaign Day 76, Dec 31, 2016

There was more progress made inside and out of Mosul on December 31. The second part of Quds and Sinai were freed, and a town outside the city in the north as well. There was contradictory news about the Hadbaa neighborhood in the north. Most reports said that the Iraqi forces hadn’t entered it yet, but one said that it had been liberated. Since November there have been several reports that the area had been reached, but all of those appeared to be exaggerations. Jadaydat al-Mufti and Qadisiyah were also attacked. The Rapid Reaction police arrived in Intisar to help the 9^th Division, and there was still fighting going in Sumer, both in the southeast, and Karama in the east, along with Salam, Nassir, and Shamiaa. The Islamic State on the other hand attacked Wahda, Tamim, Quds, Karama, Sada, and Intisar with several car bombs.

The Associated Press had a story on Nimrod. The town was freed in November and is the site of an ancient Assyrian capital. The Islamic State made a video destroying parts of the place when it conquered it. Today the village is unprotected and people are slowly looting it. With the government still fighting the battle for Mosul there is no telling when or if the place will be secured and its history protected.

SOURCES

Adel, Loaa, "CTS destroys 4 car bombs in eastern Mosul," iraqi News, 12/31/16

- "Federal Police kills IS elite elader in eastern Mosul," Iraqi News, 12/31/16

- "Iraqi forces free 2 neighborhoods in Mosul," Iraqi News, 12/10/16

- "Joint forces continue liberating 6 areas in western coast of Mosul," Iraqi News, 11/17/16

- "Security forces kill 6 IS fighters, destroy car bomb near Mosul," 12/31/16

Agence France Presse, “Elite Iraq units link up for Mosul assault: officers,” 12/31/16

AIN, “Security forces control more neighborhoods of Mosul, killing 220 Daash today,” 12/31/16

Al Alam, “VID: Iraqi Joint Forces Resume Mosul Operation by Advancing from 3 Sides,” 12/31/16

Buratha News, “Recent development in the field of freeing Mosul until 19:40 Saturday 31 12 2016,” 12/31/16

Hinant, Lori, “IS turned Iraq’s history to rubble – now the mess has been left to looters,” Associated Press, 12/31/16

Iraq Oil Report, “Inside Mosul: Dec. 31, 2016,” 12/31/16

Al Maalomah, “Commander of Ninewa Operations: We will declare the liberation of the left coast of Mosul soon,” 12/31/16

- “Counter-terrorism forces kill three Daesh members east Mosul,” 12/31/16

Al Mada, "Freed Aerkkub area north of Mosul," 12/31/16

New Sabah, "A break in the fight against terrorism as Qadisiyah neighborhood in Mosul is completely freed," 11/11/16

NINA, “Federal Police Kill 25 Terrorists In The Left Side Of Mosul,” 12/31/16

- “Int’l Coalition To Bombard Daesh Sites And Security Forces Free Hadbaa Region North Of Mosul,” 12/31/16

- “Security Forces Move Dozens Of Displaced And Repel Three Attacks To Daesh In Mosul,” 12/31/16

Raheem, Kareem and Rasheed, Ahmed, “Baghdad blasts kill 29 as Mosul fighting intensifies,” Reuters, 12/31/16

Rojkan, Mira, "Iraqi Forces Liberate New Areas in Western Mosul," Bas News, 12/31/16

Rudaw, “5,000 US ground troops stationed near Mosul, says Iraqi army commander,” 12/31/16

- "Iraqi army makes gains in Mosul as ISIS suicide blasts kill 28 in Baghdad," 12/31/16

Al Sumaria, “Abadi: Ninewa, we are coming operation entered a decisive phase,” 12/31/16

- “B-52 plans bombed northern Mosul, security forces approaching Hadbaa neighborhood,” 12/31/16

- “Counterterrorism forces liberated Quds 2 neighborhood in Mosul,” 12/31/16