The Iraqi Forces (ISF) made more advances in central and
northeast Mosul on January 16. In the north, the 15th and 16th
Divisions freed Arabi,
Qairawan and Kindi. In central and northern Mosul the Golden, 15th and
16th Divisions took
the Nabi Younis shrine and Taqafa. In the center and south the Golden Division seized
Jammasa and Majmoaa. Finally, in the southeast the Golden Division, Rapid
Reaction forces and elements of the 9th division freed
Shurta,
while the army and Federal Police were also clearing
areas taken in the last few days. The ISF found
a large group of IS fighters in Andalus that was declared liberated yesterday.
After they were defeated the neighborhood was marked as occupied once again.
The Islamic State is in a state of disarray, while trying to
cope with its losses. There was another story
about IS leaders fleeing Mosul for the west. Similar rumors have been heard
since the Mosul campaign started in October. The militants set
off explosives on the Third Bridge in the middle of the city to try to deny
its use to the government forces. That caused a large section of the span to
collapse. In east Mosul the group was forcing people from their homes to try to
get them to retreat west with it to be used as human shields. It was burning
homes and cars of those that did not comply, and firing on the others that
tried to flee to the government’s side. It was also destroying more government
buildings in its mini-scorched earth policy. Last, the ISF accused the
militants of distributing month old
videos of its operations within the city to make it seem like it was still
fighting hard instead of falling back. IS has done that before in previous
battles to keep up morale. Even with all these setbacks there are still split
opinions on how the fight for west Mosul will go down. IS could have lost most
of its fighters and the next phase will go quicker. It might be just as hard as
the first half, or it might even be harder since the west is more densely
populated and more built up with houses and buildings.
Much has been said about the United States’ increased
support for the government in the second phase of the Mosul campaign, but there
are other members of the Coalition. France
2 aired video of French Special Forces working right at the front with the
Golden Division clearing an area in east Mosul. The French have deployed with
the Peshmerga and the Golden Division for more than two years.
Reuters
had a piece on how the fighting in Mosul has disrupted families’ ability to
bury their dead. One family lost their mother, but because of shelling couldn’t
go to the cemetery so they had to bury her in the backyard. When things
stabilized they dug up the body and interned it in Gogjali graveyard. That
story symbolized life for those that have stayed in the city. When there was
fighting in their neighborhood life was upset and people had to shelter in
their home or with others, but when that passed they could start putting things
back together.
Rudaw
talked with the President of Mosul University Dr. Obay Saeed al-Dewachi who was
already talking about rebuilding the school. The physical destruction done to
the facility was extensive because it has been hit by air strikes and artillery
heavier than other parts of the city because there were no civilians there. Another
major problem is the loss of staff. Dr. Dewachi said that 56 lecturers were
executed by the Islamic State and another 20 killed during the fighting. The
president already had talks with the Ministry of Higher Education about how to
proceed. This is a huge task, but it’s good that plans are underway to try to
revive this important school.
Aid groups continued
to worry about the humanitarian situation within Mosul. They are afraid of
shortages of food and services in west Mosul. Assistance also has to be
delivered to people in the liberated areas of east Mosul. The U.N. and other groups are handing out
emergency packages. The government is starting to restore
the food ration system to parts of the city. Services however are sporadic and
there are fears that food is running short. There are three trauma centers
close to the front to provide triage to civilians and ISF killed and wounded in
the fighting, and there are plans to build another.
People continue to flow out of Mosul. From January 9 to 15
around 12,500 new displaced were registered. Most of those came from east Mosul
and went to camps in Kurdistan or south of the city in the Qayara district. Of
the 140,000 total displaced 87% are in camps. Since there are tight
restrictions on letting people out of these places the aid groups are trying to
provide all of the amenities like schools. The tough conditions in the camps
and the lack of freedom of movement has been one factor that has led to so many
people staying in Mosul rather than leaving.
Finally, during the first two weeks of January there were a
reported 465 killed, and 341 wounded. Because of government censorship only 35
members of the joint forces were said to have died, and 12 wounded. In
comparison, the U.N. reported
that roughly 1,590 ISF were wounded, and 1,410 civilians from the end of
December to the second week of January. That showed the huge disparity between
what gets into the press and what is really happening on the ground.
SOURCES
Adel, Loaa, “25 members of Islamic State killed north of
Mosul,” Iraqi News, 1/16/17
-
"Army's 16 brigade destroyed 17 car bombs north of Mosul," Iraqi
News, 1/16/17
Agence France Presse, “Iraq forces retake IS-bombed ‘Jonah’s
tomb’ in Mosul,” 1/16/17
Buratha News, “Recent developments in the field during the
process of liberating Mosul until 17:15 Monday 16 01 2017,” 1/16/17
Coles, Isabel, “Iraqi forces battle Islamic State near
Tigris river in Mosul,” Reuters, 1/16/17
Al Forat, “Ninewa We Are Coming announced the deaths of
dozens of terrorists and freed seven neighborhoods in Mosul,” 1/16/17
-
"Popular crowd kills five Daash trying to infiltrate a village west of
Mosul," 1/16/17
Iraq Oil Report, “Inside Mosul: Jan. 14, 2017,” 1/16/17
- “Inside Mosul: Jan. 15, 2017,” 1/16/17
-
"Inside Mosul: Jan. 16, 2017," 1/16/17
Kalin, Stephen, “Trapped by war, Mosul residents bury their
dead wherever they can,” Reuters, 1/16/17
Karim
Soran, "IS Fire Wounds Reporter and Cameraman in Mosul," Bas News,
1/16/17
Al Maalomah, “Abdul Wahab al-Saadi: Baghdadi ordered the
closure of Diwan offices after foreign fighters turn on members,” 1/16/17
- “Clashes and splits in the ranks of the Daesh criminals on
the right coast of Mosul,” 1/16/17
Al Mada, “16th Division up to the heights of the
Arabi neighborhood northern Mosul,” 1/16/17
- “Destroyed 17 Daesh car bombs during the liberation of
northern axis of Mosul,” 1/16/17
- “Killing 25 Daesh during process of liberation northern
Mosul,” 1/16/17
Mostafa, Mohamed, "Army recaptures two of last few
Islamic State-held districts in eastern Mosul," Iraqi News, 1/16/17
- “UPDATED: Army invades Shurta district in eastern Mosul,”
Iraqi News, 1/16/17
New Sabah, “Daesh organization fragmenting and losing
control of its members,” 1/16/17
- “The joint forces liberated Kindi north Mosul,” 1/16/17
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs,
“Humanitarian Bulletin Iraq, December 2016,” 1/15/17
Ollieric, Dorothee, “REPORT FRANCE 2. Close to the French
special forces against the Islamic State in Iraq,” France 2, 1/15/17
Rudaw, “Bombed and burnt Mosul University hopes to once
again be top Iraqi school,” 1/16/17
- “Iraqi forces control Nabi Younis Shrine in eastern Mosul
as ISIS runs,” 1/16/17
Shafaaq News, “Daesh destroyed a large part of third bridge
in Mosul,” 1/16/17
-
"Iraqi forces thwart a suicide attack in northern Mosul," 1/16/17
Al Sumaria, “Daesh spreading old videos of its fighters in
Mosul,” 1/16/17
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs,
“Iraq: Mosul Humanitarian Response Situation report No. 16 (9 January – 15
January 2017), 1/15/17
Xinhua,
"Iraqi forces push further into Mosul amid fierce clashes with IS
militants," 1/17/16
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