Mosul Campaign Day 88, Jan 12, 2017

Three areas in east Mosul were liberated, while the Iraqi forces (ISF) were battling over others. Sumer in the south was taken for the third time in January by the Rapid Reaction force. In the north, the Golden and 16^th Division liberated Bab Shamiss and Ain al-Damalaga. Part of Tamim was also cleared. The Federal Police and Rapid Reaction forces were fighting to take the rest of southeast Mosul. A spokesman for the Federal Police told the press that the east bank of the Tigris would soon be under control.

In the west the sixth stage of operations by the Hashd and police got underway. Three towns were taken south of Tal Abta. The Hashd and ISF are stuck going through these small villages because the army has made no effort to free Tal Afar, which the Hashd surrounded weeks ago. That leaves it to traverse through the western region.

Reports of the collapse of the Islamic State continued. Face Iraq said that IS fighters were fleeing east Mosul for the west scurrying across the Tigris River. The Iraqi air forces has been hitting the boats ferrying them across the waterway. Iraq Oil Report had another story that the differences between the Iraqi and foreign fighters was growing. Lastly, Al Maalomah reported that foreign and Iraqi members have been fighting each other. As pressure has increased upon the group these cracks have begun to grow bigger and bigger. Whether that will carry over to the battle for western Mosul is a major question.

Despite those problems IS is still attacking and causing casualties. During the day 42 people were killed and 5 wounded by shelling, two suicide bombers, and three car bombs.

A Coalition air strike was blamed for losses in west Mosul as well. Airwars that monitors civilian casualties in Iraq and Syria by the Coalition had 21 dead and 14 wounded from such a incident. U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator Lise Grande pointed out that 47% of all the casualties in the Mosul campaign have been civilians. Most of those have been due to IS shelling and gunfire and Coalition air strike. The Iraqi forces have also picked up their air strikes and artillery fire on east Mosul likely adding to those numbers.

The number of people registered as displaced continued to rise at a high pace. From January 6 to January 9 that figure went from 133,302 to 139,776, a 6,474 increase. Since the Mosul operation re-started at the end of 2016 people signing up with aid groups and the government has nearly doubled from around 3,000 per week to 6,000. That does not include the thousands of people moving back and forth within Mosul. Many people have heard of the tough conditions in displaced camps, the screening they have to go through which might mean male family members being detained and held incommunicado, along with the fact that they can’t leave the camps once they entered, and have decided to take their chances within the city.

SOURCES

Adel, Loaa, "Hashd militia liberates 3 villages near Mosul," Iraqi News, 1/12/17

- "IS shells residential district near Mosul, 23 civilian casualties," Iraqi News, 1/12/17

- “Security forces liberate Salam Distirct in Mosul,” Iraqi News, 1/12/17

Airwars, "January 12th, 2017: New Mosul neighbourhood, Mosul, Nineveh province, Iraq"

Buratha News, “Federal Police liberating the southern edge of the left coast of Mosul,” 1/12/17

- “War Media Cell: three car bombs blown up killing 15 terrorists and brought down drone in Mosul,” 1/12/17

Davison, John and Kalin, Stephen, “Iraqi forces link up north Mosul, make gains in southeast,” Reuers, 1/12/17

Face Iraq, “Military sources: Daesh organization fled their positions in the left coast of Mosul,” 1/12/17

- "Security forces liberated Mithaq, Sumer, Jaffa and stormed Dumiz neighborhood on the left coast of Mosul," 1/3/17

International Organization for Migration, “Iraq: Displacement Tracking Matrix, Emergency Tracking – Fact Sheet #11 – Mosul Operations from 17 October to 12 January,” 1/12/17

Iraq Oil Report, "Inside Mosul, Dec. 10, 2016," 12/10/16

- "Inside Mosul: Jan. 12, 2017," 1/12/17

Kalin, Stephen, “Bombed Mosul bridge still lifeline for long-suffering civilians,” Reuters, 1/11/17

Al Maalomah, “Large splits between members of foreign and Arab Dash in central Mosul,” 1/12/17

Mostafa, Mohamed, "3 refugees killed in Islamic State bombing in Mosul," Iraqi News, 1/12/17

- "Senior Islamic State member, five suiciders killed in central Mosul airstrike," Iraqi News, 1/12/17

- "Update: Iraqi troops liberate 28 districts in eastern Mosul," Iraqi News, 12/9/16

NINA, "Security forces impose full control over Wahda and Sumer southeast Mosul," 1/5/17

Sobir, Shoguna, “70-80% of Eastern Part of Mosul Liberated: US Army Official,” Bas News, 1/12/17

Al Sumaria, "War Media Cell: three car bombs blown up killing 15 terrorists and brought down drone in Mosul," 1/12/17

UN News Centre, “Humanitarian crisis in Mosul could outlive Iraqi military operations, senior UN official warns,” 1/11/17

Xinhua, “Iraqi forces gain ground as troops push into IS stronghold in Mosul,” 1/12/17