Mosul Campaign Day 172-173, Apr 6-7, 2017

Most of the Iraqi advances in Mosul have been in the west such as Yarmouk (far left), which was just captured by the Golden Division (Institute for the Study of War)

The Iraqi forces (ISF) have been preparing for a new offensive in west Mosul. That has resulted in a relative pause in operations. On April 6 the Golden Division did take Yarmouk 2 in the western side of the city. Otherwise the ISF were preparing to storm the Old City in the east along the Tigris River. General Najim Abdullah al-Jabouri of the Ninewa Operations Command said that the attack upon the Old City would rely less on airstrikes due to civilian casualties.

Next Phase Against The Islamic State Cutting Its Finances, Interview With RAND’s Patrick Johnston

The Islamic State is on its way to being defeated in the Battle of Mosul. Afterward it is likely to lose its remaining territory in Iraq. It is already transitioning back to an insurgency however. To finally stamp out the group its funding needs to be cut off. That can’t be done on the battlefield however, but through intelligence and law enforcement. Recently the RAND Corporation published a report on the group’s finances entitled “Financial Futures of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.” To talk about the next step against the Islamic State is one of the paper’s authors Patrick Johnston. He can be followed on Twitter @JOHNSTON.

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.