Iraqi forces helping a family escape the Islamic State
through a hole in a wall in Old City district of West Mosul (Al Jazeera)
The Iraqi forces (ISF) were cleaning up the south in the Old
City as well as pushing to the Tigris River in west Mosul. Bab al-Tob,
one of the southern entrances to the area was declared freed for the second
time. The Federal police took
Sargkhana Street, Tawalib,
Bab al-Saray again,
and Katunya for the third time. Maidan,
one neighborhood away from the Tigris, Nujafi, and Shahwan,
which is on the Tigris were under siege as well. Federal Police chief General
Raed Shakir Jawadat claimed only
four neighborhoods were left under Islamic State control, Nujafi, Bab al-Saray,
Bab al-Lakash, and Bab al-Jadid. Interestingly, all of those except Nujafi have
been cleared before, and he did not include other areas which were still
contested.
A variety of officials stated that July 6 victory in Mosul would
be announced probably prematurely. The head
of the Ninewa Operations Command, a Ninewa councilman, and the
province’s deputy governor
all remarked that July 6 the government would claim victory in the campaign.
That was denied
by the Joint Operations Command however. Given the number of neighborhoods
still contested it is highly unlikely that the city will be freed by then. That
has not stopped Baghdad before however. Prime Minister Haidar Abadi for
example, already complimented the ISF for winning the campaign. Everyone knows
that things are coming to an end, but the Iraqis can’t seem to wait for the finale.
The threat of IS infiltrations and attacks upon liberated
areas of Ninewa continued. The Golden Division’s General Sami al-Aridi warned
that IS members were trying to escape with the displaced by shaving their
beards and changing their clothes. Three IS fighters were arrested
in east Mosul planning an attack. Yesterday, four suicide bombers were killed
in Wadi Hajar in the southern section of the city. The insurgents made a large
assault upon Qayara
southeast of Mosul as well, killing 2 tribal Hashd and wounding another 25. Nearly
every day for the last two weeks the militants have been carrying out
operations inside and out of Mosul. While some of these have been to draw
forces away from the front, most are simply aimed at sowing disorder and showing
that the group is enduring, one of its catchphrases.
IS’s activities have raised tensions between the security
forces and the displaced as well. The Associated
Press reported that the Iraqi forces are increasingly accusing people
coming out of the city as being IS relatives. They were also being more
suspicious and stand offish with the people, fearing suicide bombers.
The ability of IS to carry out these attacks is in part due
to the nature of security in the city. Ninewa councilman Hossam Abar noted that there are
not enough police in the province to protect it. That means that the army’s 16th
Division and tribal Hashd units will be used to hold Mosul. None of these
forces cooperate with each other, and sections of west Mosul are only lightly
guarded. It doesn’t appear this dilemma will be resolved any time soon.
The United Nations estimated
that it will cost $1 billion to rebuild basic services in Mosul. Lise Grande
said that would be the bill for restoring water, sewage, electricity,
re-opening schools, and hospitals. According to her the city has seen the
heaviest damaged of the entire war. Beforehand, the Iraqi cabinet was talking
about $1 billion for reconstructing the entire country. Baghdad is still
struggling with low oil prices, so it was talking about going to donors and the
World Bank for loans to raise most of the money, but that will be a challenge
given the fact that it has not gotten much so far from the international
community. The U.S. for one has said that it will not help with the post-war
situation.
Save the Children warned
about the psychological damage the war was having upon the youth of Mosul. It
did a study of 65 children at a displaced camp south of Mosul. It found 90% of
them had lost a family member. They had seen their relatives killed in front of
them, dead bodies in the streets, and bombs destroy homes. 78% reported that
they had nightmares about “things” and “monsters”. When asked about the three
years of life under IS they stated that they were in constant fear of breaking
the rules and being punished. Their parents were also mentally scarred. 85% of
the kids said they were beaten by their family, another sign of stress and
anger. This was another example of the lasting affect the Islamic State has had
on Iraqi society. These children may never recover, and the abuse they are
facing from their parents will only make the situation worse.
People are still fleeing the combat zone. The United Nations
recorded
608 arriving at Hamam al-Alil the main screening center south of the city.
Another 1,408 went directly to east Mosul, which is snow accessible by a
bridge. The ISF believes there are a few thousand more people in the remaining
sections of the Old City under IS control. New data shows that over one million
have been displaced during the Mosul campaign. Over 800,000 of those are still
living in camps or outside Ninewa province.
SOURCES
AIN, “Commander of
Nineveh operations: Thursday last date for the liberation of all of Mosul,”
7/4/17
- “The federal police control the Al Shawaf building in Old
Mosul,” 7/5/17
Associated Press,
“Iraqi commander says 300 IS fighters holed up in Mosul,” 7/5/17
Baghdad Post, "Iraqi forces kill 100 ISIS
terrorists in two days in Mosul," 7/1/17
- “Iraqi military to wrest full control over Mosul:
Commander,” 7/5/17
- “More than 25 ISIS terrorists killed in Mosul’s Old City,”
7/5/17
Bas News, “Iraqi
Forces Kill 60 IS Militants in Mosul’s Old City,” 7/5/17
- "Iraqi Forces Recapture 90% of Last
IS-held Area in Mosul," 7/5/17
George, Susannah,
“Tensions rise between Iraqi forces and civilians in Mosul,” Associated Press,
7/5/17
Al Ghad Press, “More
than 25 militants killed in Mosul,” 7/5/17
Iraq Newspaper,
“Iraqi Newspaper Reporter In Mosul: Battles Are Now Taking Place In Maidan On
Two Axes By The Federal Police One On The Iron Bridge Side And The
Anti-Terrorism Forces On The Nabi Jarjeesh And Ras Al-Koor Side,” 7/5/17
- “Iraqi Newspaper Reporter In Mosul: Joint Operations: We
Did Not Determine The Day Of Victory And Sky News Reported 5 of the Reasons
Why,” 7/5/17
- “Iraqi Newspaper
Reporter In Mosul: Now The 9th Division Begins To Storm The Shahwan
Neighborhood,” 7/5/17
Iraq Oil Report, "Inside Mosul: March 18,
2017," 3/18/17
Iraqi Media Network, "Federal police
liberate Bab al-Lakash in the southern axis of the Old City," 6/30/17
- “Video:
Anti-terror forces besieging the rest of the Daesh members in the old city of
Mosul,” 7/5/17
Kalin, Stephen,
“Basic Infrastructure Repair in Mosul Will Cost Over $1 Billion: U.N.,”
Reuters, 7/5/17
- “Desperate civilians flee last Islamic State pocket in
Mosul,” 7/4/17
Kelly, Mary Louise, “In Iraq, Fight To Retake Mosul From
ISIS Appears To Be In Its Final Sages,” NPR, 7/5/17
Al Maalomah, “Abdul
al-Ghani al-Asadi confirmed to Al-Maalomah that there is no escape for the
remaining Daesh,” 7/5/17
- “Arrest of Daesh
who infiltrated with the displaced on the right bank of Mosul,” 7/5/17
- “Who will hold the
land in Mosul after liberation?” 7/5/17
Al Mada, “The presence of civilians forcing the joint forces
to slow their advance in old Mosul,” 7/5/17
Al Manat TV, “Iraq Forces Controlling Last ISIL Positions in
Old Mosul,” 7/5/17
Mostafa, Mohamed, “UPDATED: commander: 100 IS suicide
bombers remain in Mosul’s Old City,” Iraqi News, 7/5/17
- "UPDATED: Iraqi troops take over more
areas in Mosul's Old City," Iraqi News, 7/3/17
Mostafa, Nehal, “Over sixty Islamic State militants killed
in Mosul’s Old City: Federal Police,” Iraqi News, 7/5/17
- "Twenty-five tribal forces personnel killed, injured
in IS attack, south of Mosul," Iraqi News, 7/5/17
New Sabah, “The
liberation of Bab al-Tob and the Khuzam mosque in the old city,” 7/5/17
NINA, "Federal Police Kill 4 Suicide Bombers In Wadi
Hajar Area, South Of Mosul," 7/4/17
Al Rafidain, "Government Forces Say They
Took Babal-Tob In The Old City," 7/5/17
Save the Children,
“Mosul’s children mentally scarred by brutal conflict,” 7/5/17
Shafaaq News,
“Arrest of three members of Daesh in Zahra in Mosul,” 7/5/17
Al Sumaria, “Joint operations denies what has been circulated
about setting the date for the declaration of victory,” 7/5/17
UN High Commissioner
for Refugees, “Iraq Situation: UNHCR Flash Update – 4 July 2017,” 7/4/17
Xinhua, “Iraq says 300 IS militants remain holed up in
Mosul’s Old City,” 7/5/17
Al Zawra Paper,
“Security forces push Daesh in old Mosul .. Commander of the counter-terrorism
forces: the terrorist organization resorted to suicide bombers after being
besieged and losing control,” 7/5/17
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