Iraq

[sToRmR1dR]

Bombs hit convoy of displaced people in Iraq, kills 18: police

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-blast-idUSKBN13006C

Two roadside bombs struck a convoy carrying Iraqi families fleeing an Islamic State-controlled town in the north of the country late on Friday, killing 18 people, a police officer said.

The bombs targeted a truck carrying people from Hawija, about 120 km (75 miles) south of Islamic State's stronghold in Mosul, as they were being taken to the town of Al Alam, next to the Tigris river.

Seventeen of the dead were from the displaced families, regional police Colonel Nemaa al-Jabouri told Reuters. One policeman in an accompanying patrol car was also killed.

Pictures published on social media by a group linked to Iraq's defense ministry showed several blackened corpses next to the twisted metal remains of the truck.

ISIS suicide bomber from Ireland conducted attack near Mosul, Iraq

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/isis-suicide-bomber-ireland-conducted-attack-near-mosul-iraq/

At least one of the five suicide bombers who denoted their suicide trucks on the pro-government Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) west of Mosul on Friday was a foreign fighter from Europe, the Islamic State bragged.

Al-Jazirah, an ISIS outlet, posted a picture of 'Abu Usama al-Irlandi' posing in front of the VBIED (vehicle-borne improvised explosive device) he used to attack the PMU as their forces charged through ISIS-held desert territory in the Niniveh Governorate.

The man, who was born in Dublin and converted to Islam, also went by the alias 'Khalid Kelly'.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi Armed Forces continue to advance on all fronts surrounding Mosul. In the eastern part of the city, Iraqi government troops have already seized several neighbourhoods during fierce urban clashes.

It is estimated that over 27,000 foreign fighters have travelled to Iraq and Syria since fighting broke out in 2011.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Multiple bomb blasts leave ten civilians dead in, around Iraq's Baghdad

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/11/05/492277/Iraq-bomb-attacks-Baghdad-Daesh-Takfiri-Mosul-operation

At least 10 people have been killed and 37 others wounded in a series of bomb explosions that ripped through residential neighborhoods in and around the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, security and medical officials say.

A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said three people lost their lives and nine others sustained injuries when an improvised explosive device went off close to a market popular with mechanics in Sheikh Omar neighborhood of central Baghdad on Saturday.

Other bomb attacks struck the southern al-Obaidi and al-Rashid neighborhoods plus the town of Abu Ghraib, located some 25 kilometers west of Baghdad.

There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the acts of violence. However, Iraqi authorities usually blame such attacks on the Daesh Takfiri group.

The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) says a total of 1,792 Iraqis were killed and 1,358 others injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in October.

According to the UN mission, the number of civilian fatalities stood at 1,120. Violence also claimed the lives of 672 members of the Iraqi security forces. A great portion of the fatalities was recorded in the capital province of Baghdad, where 268 civilians were killed.

Gruesome violence has plagued the northern and western parts of Iraq ever since Daesh terrorists mounted an offensive there more than two years ago, and took control of portions of Iraqi territory.

Iraqi army soldiers and fighters from allied Popular Mobilization Units are trying to win back militant-held regions in joint operations.

After months of preparation, Iraqi army soldiers, backed by volunteer fighters and Kurdish Peshmerga forces, launched an operation on October 17 to retake the strategic northern city of Mosul from Daesh terrorists.

So far, a large number of villages and districts around the city, located 400 kilometers north of Baghdad, have been purged of the extremists.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has vowed that Mosul, once Iraq's second largest city before Daesh militants overran it in June 2014, will be fully recaptured by the year-end.

Hashd Al-Shaabi Takes Full Control of ISIL's Mosul-Raqqa Roads

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950815000826

"We have expanded control over the strategic Tal al-Zalat intersection and seized control over vital roads and supply routes, including Tal Afar-al-Mohlabieh-Mosul road," al-Ameri, who is also the Badr Organization Secretary General, said on Saturday.

He noted that volunteer forces have also imposed control over the strategic Tal Abteh to al-Ba'aj road which was the most important route of the ISIL to Syria.

The Iraqi volunteer forces have started fresh military operations in the Western part of Mosul to cut off ISIL's supply routes between Mosul and Raqqa.

Iraq's joint military forces also took control of Street 30 in al-Entesar district to the Southeast of Mosul city.

Iraqi Federal Police Commander Major General Shaker Judat in a statement announced that since the beginning of Iraq's joint military forces' operations in the Southern part of Mosul city, over 1,000 terrorists have been killed, 74 villages have been recaptured, 130 bombs been defused and 4,500 families have managed to leave the city.

Meantime, Commander of Iraq's Counterterrorism Department Abdul Ghani al-Assadi said that his forces managed to advance in Mosul much quicker than expected, adding, "The ISIL terrorists might have escaped to their main headquarters in the Western bank of Tigris river."

He underlined that the ISIL's defense lines in the Eastern part of Mosul have been much vulnerable than their defense lines the city of Ramadi.

Iraq's joint military forces have recently ushered in massive operations to seize back Mosul city. Mosul is the ISIL's last bastion in Iraq and seizing back the city will make the ISIL to sustain a heavy defeat.

On Friday, the Iraqi popular forces said that they have thus far liberated over 45 villages West of Mosul as they continue their offensive against ISIL's positions towards the town of Tal Afar.

Mohammad al-Basri, one of the field commanders of Iraqi popular forces told FNA that over 45 villages have been liberated and the volunteer forces have captured over 350 sq/km of territories West of Mosul towards Tal Afar.

"Based on the previously agreed plan between Baghdad and Damascus, the ISIL terrorists fleeing Mosul can be pursued in Syria," he further added.

"The large population in some villages has slowed down our forces' operation. ISIL is using civilians as human shield in Mosul and other regions."

He called on Mosul's civilians to leave the city via the security corridors established by Iraqi security forces.

The Iraqi Federal police command confirmed on Thursday that its forces liberated 10 villages South of Mosul as they continued their operation to capture the Northern city from ISIL militants.

“The outcome of the military operations conducted by the federal police troops in the Southern flanks of Mosul, has included the liberation of Al-Mincar, Bazonah, Poglawin, Kharrar, Ain Shalhoub, Al-Kusbah, Al-Khafsan, Al-Qahira, Munira and Nazazah villages South of Hamam al-Alil district,” Federal Police Commander Gen. Raed Shakir Jawdat said, Badr News reported.

The operation to retake Mosul from the ISIL has been ongoing since October 17. More than 30,000 Iraqi and 4,000 Kurdish fighters are taking part in the offensive, backed by about 5,000 US troops and supported by US-led coalition airstrikes. Mosul has been occupied by the ISIL since 2014.

The Iraqi push to drive terrorists out of their main stronghold has recently met with fierce resistance. The Iraqi armed forces are receiving air support from a US-led international coalition, which reportedly killed further 149 ISIL members earlier this week.

 

[angelburst29]

KIRKUK, Iraq — An armoured BMW car, belonging to a Kurdish Peshmerga fighter, saved dozens of lives during the Islamic State (IS) attack on Kirkuk province on October 21.

The 'Black BMW' Saves Dozens of Lives in Kirkuk
http://www.basnews.com/index.php/en/lifestyle/magazine/308887

The armoured vehicle served as an ambulance to transfer the injured people to the hospital while no one else was able to help them due to the IS snipers.

The owner of the vehicle, Ako Aburrahman, known as Ako Duzi, is a Peshmerga on Tuz Khurmatu frontline in southern Kirkuk related the story of the 'Black BMW' to BasNews. "I was on mission when the militants of IS attacked Kirkuk, a friend soon called me and we decided to go to Kirkuk at once to fight the attackers."

"After we arrived at the scene, we saw many wounded individuals among the security forces and civilians and no one was able to approach them due to the IS snipers. Therefore we decided to help those wounded people since bullets could not penetrate my car."

Ako transferred the injured people all day long until late at night and he transferred up to 70 wounded individuals, including Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmens.

"Sadly, one injured person died on the way to the hospital although he was lightly wounded, but he had not been transferred to hospital soon enough."

The car was hit by bullets fifty times and it eventually broke down due to the damage inflicted to it by bullets. Ako said he had bought the car at $9,000 four months before the attack. He revealed that the BMW company has offered to give him a new BMW car for returning the old one to the company to be kept in its museum. Ako however has refused the offer and he decided to offer his car to Sulaymaniyah museum to remain as a symbol of resilience and bravery of Kirkuk people.

The owner of the car was also invited by the Kirkuk Governor, Najmaddin Karim, to his office for appreciating him for the tremendous service he offered to the victims of the Kirkuk attack. However, Ako said he felt insulted by the governor when he awarded him with 500,000 Iraqi dinars ($385).

A group of IS militants attacked several locations in Kirkuk on October 21, but they were repelled by the police and security forces in the city. However, intense fire exchanges left nearly 90 people killed and more than 200 others injured. In addition, over 60 militants were killed and some of them were captured while fleeing the city.

 

[angelburst29]

Informed sources in Nineveh province disclosed that the local residents have raided ISIL's main prison in the Western part of the city of Mosul and set free nearly four dozen prisoners after killing the guards.

Source: Local Residents Capture Mosul's Main Prison, Set Free 45 Prisoners
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950815000606

"The local residents attacked and captured ISIL's main prison in Western Mosul on Friday and released 45 prisoners after killing all the prison guards in bloody clashes," the Arabic-language al-Sumeria News Channel quoted a local security source in Nineveh province as saying.

Commander of Nineveh Liberation Operation General Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah announced on Friday that his forces have captured six districts in the Western part of Mosul city.

Commander of Iraqi Army's Counterterrorism Department General Taleb Shaqati also announced on Friday that a major part of the Western bank of the Tigris River has been liberated.

Ankara deployed new reinforcements for its armed forces in Turkey's Southeast near the border with Iraq, amid rising tensions between Baghdad and Ankara over the unwelcome Turkish military presence on Iraq's soil.

Turkey Deploys More Military Equipment Near Iraqi Borders amid Rising Tensions with Baghdad
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950815000842

Turkish news agencies cited military sources as saying that a large number of armored vehicles have been shipped aboard cargo trains to bordering territories near Iraq.

The move by Ankara comes as tensions between Turkey and Iraq have risen to a new high, with top Iraqi officials insisting that the Turkish armed forces are urgently needed to leave Iraqi territories.

Despite repeated calls by Iraqi officials, local media reported earlier this week that Ankara has deployed numerous tanks and military hardware close to the border with Iraq.

According to a report published by Turkey's NTV, the unspecified number of tanks and armored vehicles headed from Central Turkey to the districts of Silopi and Sirnak in the Sirnak province.

Head of the Iraqi Parliament's Security and Defense Committee Hakem al-Zameli said a recently released voice message of ISIL Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is a plot hatched by Turkey's spy agency to give an excuse to Ankara to send troops to the city of Mosul in Nineveh province.

Iraqi Official Sees Hype about Al-Baghdadi's Voice Message as Ankara's Plot to Send Turkish Army Troops to Mosul
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950815001132

"The Turkish military forces will arrive in Mosul on the pretext of fighting terrorism before the ISIL leaves for Turkey," al-Zameli said.

On Thursday and concurrent with the Iraqi forces' advances towards Mosul, a voice message attributed to the ISIL leader was released calling on the ISIL commanders to continue their battle against Iraq's joint military forces.

Addressing the ISIL terrorists holed up in Mosul city, Baghdadi said that "holding your ground in honor is a thousand times better than retreating in disgrace."

Al-Baghdadi had also called on his militants to launch attacks on Turkey.

Released by ISIL's media wing al-Furqan, the message has a vicious sectarian tone, with the animosity toward Shiite Muslims and other non-Muslim groups more pronounced than in previous recordings.

In relevant remarks earlier on Saturday, the security sources in Nineveh province disclosed that a voice message allegedly released recently by ISIL leader (Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi) has been recorded and prepared several weeks ago and along Iraq-Syria border.

"The recording of al-Baghdadi's voice has been prepared by ISIL's voice recording experts and it has been recorded over two weeks ago or concurrent with the start of Mosul liberation operations," the Arabic-language al-Sumeria news channel quoted an unnamed security source as saying.

The source reiterated that according to precise intelligence Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is not in Nineveh province.

The military experts believe that sending the message on behalf of al-Baghdadi could have taken place for two reasons; first if the message does not belong to the present time, it most likely verifies the ISIL leader's death in recent months, secondly sending the message to ISIL commanders in Mosul is a proof to al-Baghdadi's absence in Mosul and his escape to Raqqa in Syria.

Yet, other political analysts say that the message endorses the recent reports on the escape of senior ISIL leaders and terrorists from Nineveh province and also deep differences among them.

In mid-October, reports from Western Iraq said Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi has succumbed to his last month's fatal injuries and died in a region along the border with Syria.

"Al-Baghdadi had been severely wounded in the Al-Anbar battle in Western Iraq last month, and his wounds were so lethal that he could not at all move freely," a local Iraqi source told the Arabic service of the Russian Sputnik news agency.

The source said despite long treatment in Mosul, the general health conditions of the ISIL leader deteriorated due to "a deep abdominal cut, damage to his liver and crippling wounds in his left limbs".

The source said Al-Baghdad lost his life in the town of Al-Be'aaj some 100km (60 miles) West of Mosul near the border with Syria, but his death is concealed to avoid the loss of morale among ISIL ranks who are faced with a tough war in Mosul and Syria these days.

There have been numerous reports on the fate or location of the ISIL leader in the last two years. As the war ravages over the self-proclaimed capital of the terrorist cult, Mosul, in Western Iraq, Arab media sources said yesterday al-Baghdadi had fled to Raqqa in Syria before the Iraqi army started its operations in Mosul, but his wife was taken.

According to Iraq's Sumeriya News, local sources in Nineveh quoted defected ISIL leaders as saying that al-Baghdadi has managed to escape from Mosul to Raqqa, but his wife has been arrested.

The defected militants stated that senior members of the terrorist group, called the ISIL police, have rebelled against al-Baghdadi and called on his supporters to surrender themselves.

The source did not mention who has arrested Baghdadi's wife, but his words implied that she has been captured during a mutiny and by those who rebelled against the terror leader.

Meantime, earlier this month, Sumeriya News cited a local source in the Northwestern Nineveh province as saying that “accurate information” showed Baghdadi’s food had been poisoned by unknown individuals and the food was given to him in Be’aaj district, Northwest of the Iraqi province of Nineveh, near the Syrian border.

The source added that al-Baghdadi and three of his aides have been transferred to an unknown location under strict measures.

Numerous reports had indicated in the last one month that al-Baghdadi and other top commanders of the terrorist cult have started evacuating Mosul in anticipation of the Iraqi army's massive attack to take back the city.

The exact location of al-Baghdadi has been a subject of speculation. However the account on sighting al-Baghdadi has intensified the speculations that the ISIL leader was in Mosul before the start of Iraqi forces' operations to retake the strategic city.

Also reports said in June that al-Baghdadi had been seriously wounded in an airstrike in Western Iraq.

Local sources in Iraq's Nineveh province confirmed that Baghdadi and other leaders in the ISIL were wounded in an air raid on one of the ISIL command headquarters close to the Syrian border.

Baghdadi was seriously wounded by an airstrike on March 18, 2015, that killed the three other men he was travelling with.

He was said to be receiving treatment for spinal injuries after being wounded in that strike.

In mid-May, Iraq's local sources disclosed that al-Baghdadi returned to Iraq from Syria and hid in Nineveh province.

"Al-Baghdadi and a group of ISIL commanders have stealthily returned to Iraq's Nineveh province," the Arabic-language Sumeriya News quoted an unnamed local Iraqi source as saying at the time.

Al-Baghdadi returned to Nineveh province through ISIL-controlled desert roads in Iraq and Syria, added the source.

The source noted that Al-Baghdadi hi in an unknown place in Nineveh province.

The ISIL Leader is running a secret life as his life is at stake more than anyone in the world now. Al-Baghdad's terrorist group is under massive airstrike by the Syrian, Russian and Iraqi Air Forces all throughout the Western Iraq and Eastern Syria.

While reports earlier this year said the ISIL leader was always on the move between Iraq's Mosul and Syria's Raqqa - the self-proclaimed capital of the terrorist group - tips and intel revealed in November that al-Baghdadi had moved from the Syrian city of Albu Kamal to the Iraqi city of Mosul in Nineveh province.

In early March, informed intelligence sources disclosed that the al-Baghdadi had moved from Turkey to Libya to escape the hunt operation of the Baghdad Intelligence Sharing Center after he was traced down and allegedly targeted a number of times in Iraq and the Syria.

"Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi who was injured in Syria was sent to Turkey for treatment and from there he was sent to Libya," the Arabic-language media outlets quoted former Egyptian intelligence officer Hesam Kheirullah as saying.

In December, sources in Libya said al-Baghdadi had arrived in Sirte, the hometown of the slain Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, which is under the control of the Takfiri groups.

Then in October, Iraq's air force bombed his convoy as he was heading to al-Karable to attend a meeting with ISIL commanders. 25 other ISIL militants were killed in the special operation that was the product of the Baghdad Intelligence Sharing Center where the latest intel arrives from Iranian, Russian, Iraqi and Syrian spy agencies round the clock.

The notorious terrorist leader escaped the attempt on his life narrowly, but with fatal injuries. Few hours after the assault, the spokesman of Iraq's joint forces declared that Al-Baghdadi was injured in the Iraqi airstrike on his convoy and was taken away from the scene by his forces.

The terrorist leader was first transferred to Raqqa, where surgeons saved his life but failed to give him a thorough treatment due to a lack of specialized medical equipment.

Sources disclosed a few days later that the ISIL leader had been taken to Turkey for treatment through a series of coordination measures by the CIA.

"The CIA has done the coordination with the Turkish intelligence service (MIT) for transferring al-Baghdadi to Turkey," the Arabic-language al-Manar TV quoted unnamed sources as saying.

The source said that two companions of al-Baghdadi who were also injured in the attack on the ISIL leader's convoy and were captured by the Iraqi forces confirmed that al-Baghdadi had been injured in the attack.

After specialists said al-Baghdadi needed months of recovery, one of his aides was appointed to run the cult until the so-called caliph would return to duty.

Al-Baghdad has, thus far, escaped several attempts on his life, making him suspicious of his team of bodyguards.

"While everyone is looking for him in Iraq and Syria, no one expects him to be in Sirte," the Libyan source told FNA, adding, "If he is to be exposed to danger, Sirte would be the last place on Earth for his life to be endangered as it is the safest Takfiri stronghold in the world."

The Syrian army, the National Defense Forces (NDF), the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Syrian and Russian Air Forces, as well as the Iraqi army and popular forces, Al-Hashed Al-Shaabi, have been conducting large-scale operations in Syria and Iraq to end the ISIL control over swathes of lands in the two countries.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Suicide bombers strike in two Iraqi cities, killing 11: officials

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-blasts-idUSKBN13107V

A suicide attacker detonated an ambulance packed with explosives in Tikrit on Sunday, killing nine people at the southern entrance to the city, police and hospital sources said.

The bomber struck during the busy morning rush hour. Authorities declared a curfew in the city, saying they had information that further attacks were possible.

In Samarra, about 50 km (30 miles) south of Tikrit, two people were killed when a suicide car bomber struck a car park for Shi'ite pilgrims visiting the city's al-Askari mosque, sources said.

The attacks took place as Iraqi troops and security forces, backed by a U.S.-led international coalition, were fighting to drive Islamic State militants out of the northern city of Mosul which they have controlled for the last two years.

Five Daesh Warlords Leave Iraq’s Nineveh Province With Several Million Dollars

https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201611061047110994-daesh-terrorism-iraq-dollars/

Five Daesh high-ranking commanders stole group money and fled the northern Iraqi province of Nineveh, local media reported.

Five high-ranking commanders of the Daesh terror organization stole several million dollars from the group and fled the northern Iraqi province of Nineveh, local media reported.

The stolen money were intended to be paid to fighting terrorists, Al Sumaria broadcaster reported, citing its sources.

"Five high-ranking Daesh commanders including a militant known as Abu Bara Kakhtani responsible for the group’s treasury fled, which coincided with the disappearance of money," the TV channel's source said.

The Daesh leadership ordered to find the commanders and execute them. According to the source, they left for another Nineveh city of Tal Afar, then for the town of Baa’j and further for Syria.

The incident happened amid the ongoing operation of the Iraqi army supported by the Kurdish Peshmerga units and US-led coalition’s airstrikes aimed at the liberation of the Nineveh’s capital of Mosul.

 

[angelburst29]

During the first three days of the ongoing military operation to win the Iraqi city of Mosul back from Daesh control, the coalition carried out airstrikes at a rate of one bomb every eight minutes.

Mosul Offensive: US Drops One Bomb Every Eight Minutes
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201611061047109427-us-mosul-airstrikes/

Iraqi security forces, assisted by the US-led coalition, the People's Mobilization Forces (PMF) and Kurdish fighters are currently focused on liberating Mosul, the second largest city in the country and the last bastion of Daesh militants there.

Colonel Daniel Manning, deputy director of the Combined Air Operations Center, on Friday told Military.com in a telephone conversation that the intense bombing is what makes this anti-Daesh operation stand out, especially if you take into account that each of these bombs are precision-guided weapons.

"It's a really high rate to be concentrated over one city over a prolonged period of time," he said, adding that the intensity and efficacy of airstrikes depends on many things, such as weather — storms slow down the offensive even though there are sensors helping to look through them — and determination of partner forces.

"You tend to employ more weapons when the weather is better, and when your partner forces are on the move because when they're on the move, they're finding the enemy, forcing the enemy to reveal themselves, and we're there to strike them," Manning explained.

On October 17, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi announced the start of a military operation to retake Mosul from Daesh with the help of airstrikes by the US-led international coalition.

The air coalition conducted more than 191 strikes through November 1, employing over 1,352 weapons for operations, according to Air Forces Central Command spokeswoman Kiley Dougherty.

"The operation is being conducted in conditions of absolute information blockade as the coalition provides no reliable information about what is going on there," she stressed.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswomam: operation in Mosul has turned into medieval massacre
http://tass.com/politics/910662

"The operation is being conducted in conditions of absolute information blockade as the coalition provides no reliable information about what is going on there. It is absolutely not clear whether the coalition forces are advancing or retreating, how efficient their tactic is, what are their losses, how many sorties were flown and by whom," she wrote on her Facebook account.

Civilians, according to Zakharova, are dying from the actions of both militants and the coalition forces confronting them making a "medieval massacre" of the anti-terrorist operation. The situation is worsened by the lack of systemic approach to evacuation of civilians. "It has turned out that no comprehensive plan for the evacuation of civilians has been elaborated. Nothing like humanitarian corridors has been provided," she stressed.

A ground operation to liberate Mosul from terrorists of Islamic State began on October 17. It involves the Iraqi troops, Kurdish units and the US-led coalition. Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city with a population of 1.3 million, has been controlled by Islamic State (a terrorist organization outlawed in Russia) for over two years. According to the Iraqi military, from 5,000 to 6,000 militants are holding the city. On October 31, Iraqi’s forces began assaulting the city.

 

[seek10]

During the first three days of the ongoing military operation to win the Iraqi city of Mosul back from Daesh control, the coalition carried out airstrikes at a rate of one bomb every eight minutes.

Mosul Offensive: US Drops One Bomb Every Eight Minutes
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201611061047109427-us-mosul-airstrikes/

Iraqi security forces, assisted by the US-led coalition, the People's Mobilization Forces (PMF) and Kurdish fighters are currently focused on liberating Mosul, the second largest city in the country and the last bastion of Daesh militants there.

Colonel Daniel Manning, deputy director of the Combined Air Operations Center, on Friday told Military.com in a telephone conversation that the intense bombing is what makes this anti-Daesh operation stand out, especially if you take into account that each of these bombs are precision-guided weapons.

"It's a really high rate to be concentrated over one city over a prolonged period of time," he said, adding that the intensity and efficacy of airstrikes depends on many things, such as weather — storms slow down the offensive even though there are sensors helping to look through them — and determination of partner forces.

"You tend to employ more weapons when the weather is better, and when your partner forces are on the move because when they're on the move, they're finding the enemy, forcing the enemy to reveal themselves, and we're there to strike them," Manning explained.

On October 17, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi announced the start of a military operation to retake Mosul from Daesh with the help of airstrikes by the US-led international coalition.

The air coalition conducted more than 191 strikes through November 1, employing over 1,352 weapons for operations, according to Air Forces Central Command spokeswoman Kiley Dougherty.

"The operation is being conducted in conditions of absolute information blockade as the coalition provides no reliable information about what is going on there," she stressed.

It sounds like sales pitch for the more bombs and more money for weapons manufacturers. No concern for people or discretion in identifying who is ISIS and who is not. It is quite a contrast to how Russia and Syria operates in Aleppo and in Syria general.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Islamic State militants reportedly use mustard gas in Iraq’s Mosul - TV

http://tass.com/world/910677

A ground operation to liberate Mosul from terrorists of Islamic State began on October 17

Islamic State militants used mustard gas in a military clash with government troops in Iraq’s Mosul, Sky News Arabia said on Sunday, citing a Kurdish source in security agencies.

A ground operation to liberate Mosul from terrorists of Islamic State began on October 17. It involves the Iraqi troops, Kurdish units and the US-led coalition. Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city with a population of 1.3 million, has been controlled by Islamic State (a terrorist organization outlawed in Russia) for over two years. According to the Iraqi military, from 5,000 to 6,000 militants are holding the city. On October 31, Iraqi’s forces began assaulting the city.

Yemeni forces capture two Saudi military bases in Asir

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/11/06/492471/yemen-saudi-bases-asir

Yemeni soldiers backed by allied fighters have taken control of two Saudi military bases in the kingdom's southern border region of Asir.

According to military sources, a Saudi military vehicle was also destroyed in the Sunday night retaliatory attack.

On Saturday, Yemeni forces also attacked a military position in the region in which several Saudi border guards were killed and injured.

Also on Sunday, Yemeni artillery targeted and destroyed a Saudi mercenary rallying point in Saudi Arabia’s southern Najran region, killing a large number of troops stationed there.

Earlier in the day, Yemeni forces launched missiles at a Saudi base in the region, destroying it and causing a large number of casualties.

On Saturday, Saudi military aircraft carried out a fresh round of strikes against several areas across Yemen including the Razeh district in the northwestern province of Sa’ada as well as the Nihm and Hamdan districts in the western province of Sana’a.

Yemen fighters launch these attacks in retaliation to Saudi Arabia’s relentless airstrikes in the country which have been carried out since March 2015. The war was launched in an unsuccessful attempt to reinstate Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, who has resigned as Yemen’s president. The UN puts the death toll from the military aggression at over 10,000.

 

[angelburst29]

Iraqi Kurdistan’s Foreign Relations chief Falah Mustafa Bakir said on Monday that he had asked Moscow to provide military assistance in fight against terrorists as well as humanitarian aid to refugees during a meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov.

Iraqi Kurds Foreign Relations Chief Requests Russian Military, Humanitarian Aid
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201611071047143637-support-kurds-iraq-russia/

Bogdanov and Bakir met in Moscow on November 1 to discuss the fight against terrorism and the operation to liberate the city of Mosul.

“Yes, we asked for this kind of support since the issue of combating terrorism is crucial,” Bakir told the Izvestia newspaper answering if he had requested the Russian military assistance.

“We asked for humanitarian aid for refugees, who came to Iraqi Kurdistan from other parts of the country, and also from Syria,” Bakir added.

According to Bakir, the Russian side said it would examine the request and would try to help.

ISIL militants in Mosul set oil wells ablaze to slow the advance of Iraqi forces as the militants retreat while they were pushed Northwards by the Iraqi forces.

ISIL Sets Oil Wells Ablaze as Iraqi Army Advances in Mosul Campaign
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950817000997

The UK charity group, Oxfam said thousands of families are forced to live in what it called a "smoke-filled hell" with scant access to clean water in villages and towns around Mosul, Arab Herald reported.

Iraqi forces have been closing in on Mosul since they launched an offensive last month to recapture Iraq's second-largest city and last ISIL stronghold in the country.

Oxfam said ISIL set 19 oil wells on fire in the Qayyara area, South of Mosul, as they were pushed Northwards by Iraqi forces.

"The fires have produced clouds of thick black smoke and fumes across an area larger than Greater London," the charity said.

Oxfam quoted a 67-year-old man as saying the burning of oil wells were making residents sick.

"We need someone to put out the fires. They have been burning for several months now," he reportedly said.

Nineveh Liberation Operation Commander Major General Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah announced that over 6,400 citizens of Mosul have been rescued by Iraq's joint military forces so far.

Iraqi Forces Rescue over 6,400 Civilians in Mosul
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950817001073

Al-Juda'a military camp in al-Qayyara region has hosted 6403 Iraqi civilians," General Yarallah said.

He said that around two million people have been taken hostage inside the city of Mosul to prevent the advances of the Iraqi forces and air raids by the Iraqi fighter jets.

Meantime, local sources in Mosul acknowledged that the ISIL terrorists have arrested over 6,000 residents of the villages in the surrounding regions of Mosul city, Fallujah and other nearby areas under ISIL's control to use them as human shield a later time.

A senior commander of the Iraqi volunteer forces (Hashd al-Shaabi) announced that his forces have taken full control of all roads to the city of Mosul in Nineveh province.

A top Iraqi military commander said that more than 2,000 ISIL militants have been killed since the start of the offensive to liberate the ISIL stronghold city of Mosul in Northern Iraq.

Iraqi Commander: Over 2,000 ISIL Militants Killed during Mosul Campaign
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950817001103

Mosul Operations commander Maj. Gen. Najm Al-Jabouri told the local Al-Sumaria News that the initial statistics for the undergoing military operation in Mosul show that more than 2,000 ISIL militants, including some of their high-level leadership, have been killed so far.

Earlier, the Iraqi army said that 165 regions have been liberated from the control of the ISIL terrorists since the start of the military operation to retake the militant-held city of Mosul.

"Since the start of the military campaign to liberate Mosul, a number of 165 regions, villages, districts, neighborhoods, and government facilities in Northern, Southern, Western and Eastern Mosul have been retaken from the terrorists control," Iraqi Army's General Command said in a statement.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Iraqi Army Discovers Mass Grave With 100 Beheaded Bodies Near Mosul - Reports

https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201611071047160206-iraq-grave-mosul-bodies/

The Iraqi army announced on Monday that its troops discovered a mass grave with 100 beheaded bodies in the town of Hammam Al-Alil, located south of Mosul, after it was liberated from Daesh terrorists, media reported.

Earlier in the day, media reported that the Iraqi army, liberated Hammam al-Alil, seized by Daesh in 2014.

"The IS [Daesh] militants continue to commit crimes against our people. So, after liberation of Hammam Al-Alil region, the Iraqi forces stumbled upon a new crime committed by the terrorists in the building of an agricultural college — the bodies of 100 beheaded citizens," the press service of the Iraqi army command said in a statement, as quoted by the Alsumaria television channel.

According to the statement, special commission would be sent on the ground "to investigate this horrific crime."

The operation to retake Mosul from Daesh terrorists, outlawed in many countries including Russia, started on October 17. The offensive has already resulted in the liberation of large territories and prompted many terrorists to flee Iraq.

Iraqi forces uncover Daesh prison near northern city of Mosul

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/11/07/492604/Iraq-Mosul-Daesh-Hammam-alAlil-Riyad-Ahmad-Thaer

Iraqi government troops have uncovered a prison used by the Daesh Takfiri terrorists to hold residents in the recently recaptured town of Hammam al-Alil, located south of the northern city of Mosul.

The Iraqi security forces discovered the makeshift prison during a search operation in the previously militant-held town on Monday.

Residents and witnesses said the site had been used by the Takfiri terrorists to lock up a large number of residents and opponents. They also recalled witnessing dozens of men being driven by the terrorist group to the prison in pickup trucks.

"This is a prison where the residents of the city who rose up against the Daesh were kept. They gathered the men who were part of the movement and others who were not, all the families, they hit them and forced them to come here, to this place," Reuters quoted Riyad Ahmad Thaer, a resident of Hammam al-Alil as saying.

The developments come a day after Iraqi forces completely retook control of the town of Hammam al-Alil.

Iraqi forces however on Monday continued to search the town for Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) and any remaining militants.

Meanwhile, residents of Mosul and nearby villages said the Daesh militant group has been using civilians as human shields against the airstrikes and military operations of the Iraqi troops.

UN human rights spokeswoman, Ravina Shamdasani, said in late October that Daesh terrorists had abducted tens of thousands of civilians from near Mosul to use them as human shields.

On October 17, Iraqi army soldiers, backed by volunteer fighters and Kurdish Peshmerga forces, launched an operation to retake Mosul, a strategic city in northern Iraq, from Daesh terrorists.

The Iraqi troops managed to enter Mosul’s limits last week for the first time since June 2014, when the city fell to Daesh amid its terrorist campaign in northern and western Iraq.

So far, a large number of the villages and districts surrounding the city have been purged of the terrorists.

Iranian Security Forces Arrest Several Komala Terrorists

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950817001055

According to Hawari Kurdistan news website, the terrorists are accused of killing three people in Kamyaran town of Iran's Kurdistan province in the past two months.

The arrested terrorists have confessed to relations and cooperation with members of the disbanded terrorist group, the Democratic Party of Iran's Kurdistan (Hadka) affiliated to Komala party, to carry out assassination of ordinary people in Kamyaran for their refusal to cooperate or finance the terrorist group.

The development came after Secretary of Iran's Expediency Council (EC) Mohsen Rezayee blasted Saudi Arabia for its destructive measures in the region, and said Riyadh is supporting and sending terrorists to Iran.

"The Saudi consulate in Northern Iraq helps the Komala Party (a terrorist group active in Kurdistan region) to interfere in Iran and Iraq's affairs and sends terrorists to Iran but its plots have failed due to the vigilance of the revolutionary forces," Rezayee said, addressing a forum in Alborz province near Tehran in July.

"The Saudis are the most evil government on Earth and are stirring turmoil in the region because of their insanity," he added.

Also, last month, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) forces thwarted clashed with a terrorist team sent by PJAK (the Party for Free Life of Kurdistan) in the Western province of Kurdistan.

The members of the terrorist group who sought to enter Iran were identified by IRGC forces in Golchidar region of Marivan town in Kurdistan province and were forced to flee, leaving a number of their light and semi-heavy weapons behind.

According to the local officials, the terrorist group also launched an RPG attack against the IRGC forces but the RPG round failed to explode.

Commander of the IRGC Ground Force Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour announced in June that his forces had killed a commander of PJAK terrorist group along with 4 of his comrades in Northwestern Iran.

"5 members of PJAK terrorist grouplet were killed in intelligence operations in the Northwestern parts of the country," Pakpour told FNA.

Stressing that no members of the terrorist group could escape from the region, he said, "One of the slain terrorists was a PJAK commander in the region."

Pakpour said that during the operations, a number of light weapons were seized by the IRGC forces, adding that the terrorist group was behind the killing of several people in the region.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Iraqi Sukhoi Jets Crush ISIL's Military Positions in Anbar Province

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950818001330

The Sukhoi fighter jets pounded the ISIL's military positions at least five times in Raveh region of Anbar province in Western Iraq.

The Iraqi War Media Center in a statement announced that scores of the ISIL terrorists were killed and wounded in the Iraqi Sukhoi fighter jets' raids.

It also noted that 11 tanks of the ISIL terrorist group were also destroyed in the Iraqi airstrikes.

"The aerial bombardments took place in coordination between the Iraqi army's intelligence department and the Iraqi air force," the statement said.

In late October, ISIL's emir of Euphrates and several of his deputies were killed in Iraqi airstrikes in the Western part of Anbar province, a senior commander of Iraqi volunteer forces announced.

"Sheiban al-Ani, a close aide of Abu Ons al-Shami who is ISIL's second man after Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed when Iraqi fighter jets struck a gathering of the terrorists in the city of Aneh in Western al-Anbar," Major Kazzem al-Jugheifi said.

He noted that several ISIL military vehicles and hardware were also destroyed during the Iraqi air raids.

Abu Ons al-Shami is directly in charge of recruiting terrorists and dispatching them to war fronts.

Daesh kidnaps 295 ex-Iraqi security forces near Mosul: UN

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/11/08/492705/Iraq-Mosul-Daesh

Daesh has abducted 295 former members of Iraqi Security Forces near the city of Mosul, the United Nations says as the Takfiri terrorist group is suffering considerable setbacks on the ground due to advances by the Iraqi troops.

Ravina Shamdasani, the spokeswoman for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), released the figure at a UN briefing in the Swiss city of Geneva on Tuesday.

About 100 of the ex-officers were kidnapped from the village of Mawaly in western Mosul on November 3, and 195 more were taken from villages in the district of Tal Afar on November1-4, Shamdasani said.

She further said Daesh had forced 1,500 families to retreat with them from the southern Mosul town of Hammam al-Alil that was recently liberated by the Iraqi forces.

"People forcibly moved or abducted, it appears, are either intended to be used as human shields or - depending on their perceived affiliations - killed," the official noted, adding, "The fate of these civilians is unknown for the moment.”

Mosul fell to Daesh in 2014, the year the terror outfit began its campaign of death and destruction in northern and western Iraq.

On October 17, the Iraqi army, volunteer Shia and Sunni fighters as well as Kurdish Peshmerga forces launched a long-awaited offensive to retake Mosul.

The operation has entered its fourth week and Iraqi forces have so far made major gains against the extremists.

Elsewhere in her comments, Shamdasani said that the UN had information that at least 30 sheikhs were kidnapped in Sinjar in early November and the world body was trying to verify whether 18 of the hostages were killed in Tal Afar.

Residents of Mosul have repeatedly warned that Daesh is forcibly gathering civilians for possible use as human shields against the Iraqi forces.

Late on Monday, Iraqi government forces unearthed a mass grave containing the skeletal remains of some 100 decapitated bodies near the agricultural college of Hammam al-Alil.

Shamdasani said that the discovery happened to be in the same college where the UN reported the execution of 50 police officers last month.

 

[angelburst29]

Sixteen US servicemen have been killed and 27 more injured in the ongoing operation of liberating the Iraqi city of Mosul from Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization, a military-diplomatic source in Moscow told TASS on Monday.

Source: 16 US servicemen killed, 27 injured in fighting for Iraq’s Mosul
http://tass.com/world/910861

"Over the first two weeks of the ground military operation in Mosul, 16 US servicemen were killed and another 27 were injured. Most instances of death and injuries of servicemen represent the result of hitting a landmine, or coming under artillery or mortar shellings," the source said.

There were also cases when servicemen died as a result of weak coordination of actions between aviation and special forces units. "For instance, two special forces members died in the airstrike delivered at Mosul’s outskirts by B-52H US aircraft," the source noted.

He stressed that over the two weeks since the start of the military operation, the US-led coalition failed to achieve any considerable success in Mosul.

"Liberation of Mosul is considered by outgoing Democrats in the White House as a trump card in pre-election political games, where the victory of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton is at stake. That’s why senators and influential politicians have to raise stakes and lobby decisions to step up military actions in Mosul, not taking into account big losses among US servicemen," the source concluded.

Sixteen US servicemen were killed and 27 more injured in the ongoing operation of liberating the Iraqi city of Mosul from ISIL militants, a military-diplomatic source in Moscow said.

16 US Servicemen Killed, 27 Injured during Fighting near Mosul
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950818000706

"Over the first two weeks of the ground military operation in Mosul, 16 US servicemen were killed and another 27 were injured. Most instances of death and injuries of servicemen represent the result of hitting a landmine, or coming under artillery or mortar shelling attacks," the source said, TASS reported. .

There were also cases when servicemen died as a result of weak coordination of actions between US aviation and special forces units.

"For instance, two special forces members died in the airstrike delivered at Mosul’s outskirts by B-52H US aircraft," the source noted.

He stressed that over the two weeks since the start of the military operation, the US-led coalition failed to achieve any considerable success in Mosul.

"Liberation of Mosul is considered by outgoing Democrats in the White House as a trump card in pre-election political games, where the victory of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton is at stake. That’s why senators and influential politicians have to raise stakes and lobby decisions to step up military actions in Mosul, not taking into account big losses among US servicemen," the source concluded.

Senior security officers announced that the ISIL has closed Iraq-Syria borders to block traveling of the families of fleeing militants to Raqqa region in Syria.

Iraq: ISIL Blocks Fleeing Militants' Passage to Syria
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950818001471

"The ISIL closed al-Qaem border crossing in al-Qaem region to prevent the terrorists and their families from escaping the cities of Aneh, Raveh and al-Qaem to Raqqa in Syria," Iraqi security officer Colonel Nazem al-Juqeifi said on Tuesday.

He also noted that the ISIL has forced its terrorists to remain where they are and fight against the Iraqi government forces.

The ISIL measure came after a growing number of terrorists escaped from Iraq's Aneh city near al-Ramadi to Syria along with their family members.

 

[angelburst29]

The Pentagon has sent hundreds of parachute troopers to Iraq, while their commander says that they are not due to take part in any military operation in Mosul, Russian-language media reports said Wednesday.

Report: US Sends 1,700 Parachute Troopers to Iraq for Unspecified Objective
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950819001482

A sum of 1,700 US army parachute troopers from its special forces will cooperate with the Iraq's joint military forces to help take control of the city of Mosul, the Arabic-language edition of the Russian Izvestia newspaper reported.

It said that the US parachute troops have undergone two months of intensive military training, including street battle and ISIL's chemical attacks.

Izvestia said that while the US troops have undergone very special military training in Louisiana's Forte Black military base, their commander claimed that they will not take part in any military operation in Iraq.

There are about 5,000 US military forces in Iraq, but only between 100 to 200 of them are declared to be helping Iraqi forces.

After months of preparation, Iraqi army soldiers, backed by volunteer fighters and Kurdish Peshmerga forces, launched an operation on October 17 to retake the strategic city of Mosul from the ISIL terrorists.

Iraqi volunteer forces (Hashd al-Shaabi) commanders accused Ankara of conducting spying operations in Nineveh province to help top ISIL commanders find a safe passage to Syria and Turkey.

Iraqi Commanders: Turkish Spies Helping ISIL Terrorists Flee to Turkey, Syria
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950819001529

"It has become known over the past few days that some ISIL commanders are Turkish nationals, and all those who are in charge of ISIL's Mosul operations have received Turkish citizenship, hence Turkey intends to help them escape from Mosul through a safe corridor," Spokesman of Iraq's Hezbollah Battalion Jafar al-Hosseini told FNA on Wednesday.

Al-Hosseini noted that Hashd al-Shaabi popular troops are also responsible for confronting the withdrawal of these top commanders and other terrorists toward Baishqa military base in addition to helping Iraq's joint military forces against the ISIL in Nineveh province.

Meantime, a senior commander of Sayyed al-Shohada battalions Hassan Abdol Hadi disclosed the Turkish agents' spying activities in different cities of Nineveh province, specially the city of Tal Afar.

"The most important goal of the Turkish spies is helping the ISIL terrorist commanders to escape to Syria or Turkey," Abdol Hadi said.

On Monday, a senior commander of the Iraqi volunteer forces announced that his forces have started advancing towards Tal Afar airport, and cautioned that the Hashd al-Shaabi fighters might clash with the Turkish army troops in the area.

"Hashd al-Shaabi forces started the second round of their mop-up operation mission at Tal Afar airport; the airport is located 8 kilometers from Tal Afar city and Hashd al-Shaabi forces are advancing cautiously due to the possibility of clashes with the Turkish army," Hassab Abdel Hadi said.

He noted that the Turkish forces are in the surrounding areas of Tal Afar, but some of them have entered the city in plainclothes "because Hashd al-Shaabi is advancing towards Tal Afar and al-Mahlabieh and has, hence, cut the (ISIL's) aid route to Raqqa" in Syria.

Abdel Hadi pointed to the Turkish army's movements in Northern Mosul, and said "the Iraqi government has already warned Turkey to leave the region", but they don't because the latter considers "Mosul as a province of the Ottoman Empire".

 

[angelburst29]

Those Shabak people who had not left Mosul, were tortured and slaughtered by Daesh.

Daesh 'Slaughtered Thousands' of Shabak People in Iraq's Mosul
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201611101047307301-daesh-mosul-shabak/

Jihadists killed thousands of Shabak people, a religious and ethnic minority living in and around Mosul, when they seized the northern Iraqi city two years ago, Razi Behcet, the chairman of the local Shabak Council, told Sputnik.

"When Daesh captured Mosul, the majority of Shabak Kurds fled the city. They hid in Baghdad and Erbil. But some could not leave their homes in Mosul … Their houses were burned down, women and children degraded and tortured. Thousands were slaughtered," he said.

Iraq is home to 750,000 Shabak people, Behcet told Sputnik. Before Daesh proclaimed Mosul the capital of its "caliphate" in Iraq, it had the largest Shabak population. Sunni Shabaks identify themselves as Kurds.

Shabak people make up the majority of residents in Mosul’s eastern neighborhoods and 85 nearby villages. Behcet said many of them were still under Daesh control, almost a month after the Iraqi government launched an operation to retake the city with air support from an international coalition.

The Iraqi Army and Kurdish fighters have liberated several districts in the eastern part of Mosul from Daesh terrorists.

Iraqi Army Liberates Several Districts of Mosul From Daesh
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201611101047306031-iraqi-army-liberates-mosul/

After severe clashes, government troops entered four districts: Hayalkudüs, Kerame, Hayalsalah, and Saddam. They pull down Daesh flags there and raised the national flag of Iraq, Sputnik Turkey reports.

According to reports, 76 terrorists were killed and 8 were captured in fighting that has been ongoing since yesterday.

Iraqi soldiers continue works on demining and defusing of bombs planted by terrorists. They are evacuating civilians who had been trapped in their houses because of the fighting.

Meanwhile, Mosul residents continue to leave the city. They are fleeing to Erbil with white flags on their cars. According to Sputnik Turkey, as clashes become more intense, Iraqi command has sent armored vehicles and special units from Baghdad and Diyala province as reinforcements. The units previously took part in street battles against Daesh in El-Fallujah and other cities.

Daesh terrorists executed by electrocution 30 civilians in one of the positions they control in the western part of Mosul city center, having accused them of cooperation with the Iraqi forces, according to local media.

Daesh Militants Electrocute 30 Residents of Iraqi Mosul
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201611091047262575-daesh-terror-mosul/

The Islamic State (ISIL or Daesh) jihadists electrocuted on Wednesday 30 civilians in the Iraqi city of Mosul over their alleged links to the government forces, local media reported.

"The IS militants today executed by electrocution 30 civilians in one of the positions they control in the western part of the Mosul city center, having accused them of cooperation with the government forces," a source in the Nineveh province told the Al Sumaria TV channel.

According to media reports, the counterterrorist units of the Iraqi army liberated on Thursday Zahra quarter in eastern Mosul from the militants of the Daesh terrorist group.

Zahra District of Eastern Mosul Liberated by Iraqi Military
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201611101047279576-iraq-mosul-daesh/

The counterterrorist units of the Iraqi army liberated on Thursday Zahra quarter in eastern Mosul from the militants of the Daesh terrorist group, local media reported citing security sources.

"Anti-terrorist units have freed Zahra quarter in eastern Mosul," a source in the security forces of the Nineveh province told Al Sumaria TV channel. During the last weeks, seven other quarters in Mosul were reported to be freed from the Daesh militants.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Iraqi Army approaches Nimrud’s ancient ruins

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/iraqi-army-approaches-nimruds-ancient-ruins/

(AFP) The battle for Iraq’s second city Mosul neared the remains of ancient Nimrud on Thursday, the military said.

Troops and volunteer fighters were advancing on two villages held by the Takfiri ISIL group near the ancient site some 30 kilometers (20 miles) south of Mosul, the Joint Operations Command said.

“Units of the 9th Armored Division and the Hashed al-Ashaeri (tribal forces) are beginning to advance to liberate the villages of Abbas Rajab and Al-Nomaniyah, toward Nimrud,” it said, later announcing that Abbas Rajab had been retaken.

Nimrud was the one of the great centers of the ancient Middle East. Founded in the 13th Century BC, it became the capital of the Assyrian empire, whose rulers built vast palaces and monuments that have drawn archaeologists from around the world for more than 150 years.

Many of its monumental stone sculptures and reliefs were taken away for display in museums around the world but some of the more massive structures remained in place when the Takfiris swept through in mid-2014.

In April last year, ISIL posted video on the internet of its fighters sledge hammering monuments before planting explosives around the site and blowing it up.

It was part of a campaign of destruction by the Takfiris against heritage sites under their control that also took in ancient Nineveh on the outskirts of Mosul, Hatra in the desert to the south and Palmyra in neighboring Syria.

ISIL says the ancient monuments are idols that violate the teachings of its Takfiri ideology.

But that has not stopped the group from trafficking artifacts it purports to revile on the black market to fund its operations.

It is unclear what still remains of Nimrud’s ancient ruins as Iraqi forces move closer.