Mosul Campaign Day 170-171, Apr 4-5, 2017

Federal Police fighting in Old City, West Mosul (Reuters)

The Iraqi Air Force once again dropped flyers over Mosul telling the citizens to stay in their homes. In the past such actions have preceded a new offensive by the Iraqi forces (ISF). One is about overdue as the police have made no real advances in the Old City for several weeks now.

Plight Of Civilians In The Battle For Mosul, Interview With Amnesty International’s Donatella Rovera

As the battle for Mosul enters its sixth month there are growing concerns about the damage and casualties it is causing. The Jadida incident where a Coalition air strike was blamed for over two hundred civilian deaths highlighted the rising costs incurred from the fighting. To help describe the situation is Amnesty International’s Donatella Rovera who has been interviewing people in Mosul and Ninewa during the campaign. She can be followed on Twitter @DRovera.

Mosul Campaign Day 169, Apr 3, 2017

Most of the fighting has been in the western section of the front (red circle) by the Golden Division. Green = liberated. Red = frontline. White = Islamic State control (Iraqi Day)

There has been no real advances in the Old City along the Tigris River in west Mosul for several weeks now as can be seen by comparing these two maps from March 27 vs April 3, 2017. Green = liberated. Red  = frontline. Gold = Islamic State control (Iraqi Day)

After a couple slow days the Iraqi forces (ISF) announced some new advances. The Yarmouk and Nahrawan neighborhoods were freed in the west and there was fighting in Matahen and Aghawat. The Golden Division has moved up into the center and western section of west Mosul, while the Federal Police and Rapid Reaction Division were still concerned with the Old City district. The police were opening up routes for civilians to leave that area to try to clear the battlefield before launching a new operation there. As usual, bad weather has been holding up air support, and in turn the Iraqi ground forces.

Mosul Campaign Day 168, Apr 2, 2017

The last few days have been slow for the Iraqi forces (ISF) inside west Mosul. The Golden Division recaptured the Rajim al-Hadid neighborhood that the Islamic State seized the day before. That was the first time the insurgents were able to take any territory in the Mosul battle. There was still fighting in Yarmouk in the west as well. The Golden Division claimed it had freed the area on March 22. Otherwise there were no advances reported. The ISF is now in control of roughly 60% of the western section of the city.

Musings On Iraq In The News

I was cited in “The Hashd al-Shaabi and Iraq, Subnationalism and the State” by Dylan O’Driscoll and Dave van Zoonen for the Middle East Research Institute.

Mosul campaign Day 166-167 March 31-April 1, 2017

The Federal Police and Rapid Reaction Division are holding down Islamic State forces in the Old City along the Tigris River while the Golden Division are moving up its flank and advancing in the west fighting in areas such as Yarmouk (Medecins Sans Frontieres)

Federal Police fighting in the Old City district of west Mosul (Reuters)

For the first time the Islamic State was able to seize some territory from the Iraqi forces (ISF) inside Mosul. The insurgents took the Rajim al-Hadid neighborhood that was just freed on March 22. The area was being held by a tribal Hashd unit probably made up of locals. The Golden Division was still fighting in Yarmouk as well away and to the west of the Old City. A member of the Ninewa security committee said that there have been no real advances by the police for the last 15 days in the Old City. That stalemate has led to a revision of the battle plan. While the police hold down Islamic State fighters in the Old City, the Golden Division is moving up the flank to surround the district, while taking areas in the western section of the city.

Violence In Iraq, March 22-28, 2017

Violence stayed at relatively the same level between the third and fourth week of March. There were 152 reported incidents in Iraq from March 22-28. That was roughly the same as the previous week when there were 142.

Again, Ninewa led the country in violence with 100 incidents due to the Battle for Mosul. After that there were 21 in Baghdad, 10 in Diyala, 8 in Anbar, 6 in Kirkuk, 5 in Salahaddin, and 1 each in Babil and Najaf.