Smoke rising from new assault upon Old City district West
Mosul (Bas News)
The Iraqi forces (ISF) finally launched a multi-pronged
assault upon the Old City district in west Mosul. The operation started
at 6 am. Two brigades from the Golden Division moved into Farouq in the
northwest, while the army’s 16th Division advanced from
Bab al-Sinjar and Bab al-Lakash
in the north. A Federal Police brigade attacked Bab al-Baid in the southwest.
They claimed
they broke through the first two lines of the Islamic State’s defenses, while
the Golden Division said progress was slow due to the dense layout of the
streets and houses and the large number of civilians. IS launched four counter
attacks consisting of car bombs and suicide bombers, but were turned back. The
Iraqis were struggling over the medical complex in Shifa
as well. Leaflets
were dropped over the city by the Iraqi air force telling people that the ISF
was coming, while loudspeakers blasted messages that the insurgents should
surrender, and civilians should
flee towards the Iraqi forces. Shifa and the Old City are the last two sections
of the city still under the militants’ control. The latter was originally
attacked in March, and the ISF quickly bogged down, and became a holding force
to tie down IS fighters, while others moved up the flank and eventually to the
north as well. Shifa was targeted when the latest offensive started at the end
of May and the Iraqi forces have been stuck in the medical center that consists
of several hospitals. Both are now under attack meaning the Mosul campaign is
finally coming to a conclusion.
A police brigade commander and four other officers were arrested
in Mosul. The police were investigated for murdering a man and a woman who were
suspected IS members. They were killed two months ago in east Mosul, and their
bodies were discovered near Mosul University. There has been a spate of extra
judicial killings in and around Mosul recently. This was a rare event as the
Iraqi government rarely holds high ranking officers or officials responsible for
their crimes. It’s yet to be seen how their court cases will go.
Mosul University recently re-opened
and students were taking their end of year exams. Only parts of the campus are
open, while others are destroyed or still being repaired. Re-starting classes
was an important benchmark towards life in the city returning.
The Iraqi cabinet discussed restoring
salaries to Ninewa’s public workers. The Finance Ministry is auditing the
payrolls before money is distributed once again. Ninewa like the rest of Iraq’s
provinces is dependent upon the government to drive its economy. The government
is the largest employer. There are lots of civil employees back at work within
Mosul like teachers, but none of them are getting paid. Again, this would be an
important move towards restoring the governorate.
SOURCES
Agence France
Presse, “Iraq: The battle for Mosul,” 6/18/17
Al Alam,
“Anti-Terrorism forces begin to storm al-Farouq neighborhood in West Mosul,”
6/18/17
- “Witnesses…Violent
battles against 800 Daesh in its stronghold in the start of bloody struggle,”
6/18/17
Arango, Tim, “Iraqi
Forces Begin Assault on Mosul’s Old City,” New York Times, 6/18/17
Bas News, “40 IS Militants Killed During Push into Last
IS-held District in Mosul,” 6/18/17
- “Continued
incursions into the old town of Mosul by Iraqi forces,” 6/18/17
BBC, “Mosul battle:
Iraqi forces attack IS-held Old City,” 6/18/17
Al Ghad Press, “500
thousand leaflets were issued to citizens in West Mosul,” 6/18/17
- “Jawadat: Our
forces are deep into the old city by Bab al-Bayd,” 6/18/17
- “Saadi: We made
150 meters into the old city of Mosul,” 6/18/17
Hassan, Hamuda and
Chmaytelli, Maher, “Iraqi forces storm Old City of Islamic State-held Mosul,
U.S. reports progress,” Reuters, 6/18/17
Hughes, Trevor, “Battle for Mosul: Iraqi forces begin painstaking
push into Old City,” USA Today, 6/18/17
Iraq News Network,
“Council of Ministers decides to resolve the file of salaries of Mosul
employees,” 6/18/17
Iraq Newspaper, “Iraqi Newspaper Reporter In Mosul Four
Iraqi Units Storm Farouq Neighborhood Right Now And A Battle Over White
Phosphorus,” 6/18/17
- “Iraqi Newspaper Reporter In Mosul Provides A Summary Of
The Battles On Sunday Until 5:30 PM,” 6/18/17
- “Iraqi Newspaper Reporter In Mosul: The Second Brigade
Counter Terrorism Forces Broke Into Al Farouq In One Of Three Axes,” 6/18/17
- “Iraqi Newspaper Reporter In Mosul: This Is What Has Not
Been Liberated,” 6/18/17
Al Maalomah, “Federal Police chief announces the launch of
liberation of Hadbaa Minaret,” 6/18/17
Morris, Loveday and
Salim, Mustafa, “’They will fight to the death’: Iraqi forces start offensive
to retake last area of Mosul held by militants,” Washington Post, 6/18/17
Mostafa, Mohamed,
“Police take over facility in Mosul’s Old City, kill senior IS leader,” Iraqi
News, 6/18/17
Mostafa, Nehal, “Iraqi forces say started storming Islamic
State-held Mosul Old City,” Iraqi News, 6/18/17
New Sabah, “Joint
operations announce the start of decisive battle to clear what remains in West
Mosul,” 6/18/17
Al Noor News, “The
start of the storming of the Old City in central Mosul,” 6/18/17
Rahal, Layal Abou,
“Mosul students return for exams amid devastation,” Agence France Presse,
6/18/17
Rojkan, Mira, “Iraqi Federal Police Recaptures Major
Facilities in West Mosul’s Old City,” Bas News, 6/18/17
Rudaw, “UPDATED:
Iraqi army enters Old Mosul district from two sides,” 6/18/17
Shafaaq News,
“Arrest of a commander for the murder of two people in Mosul,” 6/18/17
- “URGENT Iraqi
forces storm old city in Mosul,” 6/18/17
Al Sumaria, “The
federal police announced breaking first and second lines of defense in Old
Mosul,” 6/18/17
- “Interior Ministry: The storming of Old City is decisive
battle for the last remnants of Daesh,” 6/18/17
Watan News, “Start
of operation to free Hadbaa,” 6/18/17
Xinhua, “Decisive battles heat up as Iraqi forces swoop on
last IS stronghold in Mosul,” 6/18/17
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