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| Iraq |
| Mosul Offensive News |
| 2016-11-11 |
| 16 ISIS Bad Guys die in battle with Kurds near Bashiqa (IraqiNews.com) Nineveh – Kurdish Peshmerga militants killed 16 Islamic State fighters in Bashiqa, Nineveh, Alsumaria News reported Thursday. A source within the militia told Alsumaria News that the ISIS elements were hiding inside the town and attempted to flee it after Peshmerga forces took over last Monday, adding that the forces continue to search the town. Peshmerga forces are fighting on the side of Iraqi joint forces to liberate Nineveh, ISIS’s last centrepiece in Iraq. ISIS has sustained serious defeats since the launch of operations mid October. The US-led military coalition said Thursday that 1636 ISIS militants have been killed since the start of military operations in Nineveh’s Mosul. Kurds forces to remain in Bashiqa [al-Manar] Peshmerga forces have no short-term plans to withdraw from the town of Bashiqa, which they captured earlier this week from the so-called ‘Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’ (ISIL) terrorist group, a high-ranking Peshmerga officer said Thursday. Peshmerga Chief-of-Staff Jamal Eminki said Bashiqa’s “liberation” from ISIL had been achieved in two phases. “First we established control over the town as a whole,” he said. “Then we purged it of ISIL elements and cleared it of bombs and booby-traps planted by the militants.” Peshmerga forces had managed to kill 30 militants in mopping-up operations, he said, asserting that the extremist group “no longer poses any threat to the town”. Eminki went on to stress that Peshmerga forces would remain — for the time being at least — in areas they had recently taken from ISIL. “We are not withdrawing right now from the towns we have liberated,” he said. “When local residents — including civil servants and Asayish officers [i.e., Kurdish security forces] — return to Bashiqa, Peshmerga fighters will leave,” he said. On Tuesday, Kurdish Peshmerga forces announced the “total liberation” of the majority-Ezidi town of Bashiqa, which lies some 12 kilometers (roughly 8 miles) northeast of Mosul in Iraq’s northern Nineveh province. On Oct. 18, the Iraqi army launched a wide-ranging operation aimed at retaking Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city. ISIL overran Mosul in mid-2014, along with vast swathes of territory in northern and western Iraq. Recent months have seen the army retake much territory, especially on the outskirts of Mosul and in Iraq’s western Anbar province. Iraqi forces destroy 5 car bombs in Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Nineveh – Iraqi media outlets reported on Thursday, that joint security forces managed to kill two snipers belonging to the Islamic State extremist group, as well as destroying five booby-trapped vehicles and two motorcycles, east and north the city of Mosul. Alsumaria News stated, “Troops of the army’s 16th brigade managed, this morning, to kill two snipers of the Islamic State while hiding between trees in Shalalat area, north of Mosul,” pointing out that, “The troops also managed to destroy two booby-trapped vehicles that tried to attack security forces in the same area.” “Also, Anti-Terrorism forces destructed three booby-trapped vehicles and two motorcycles belonging to the ISIS,” Alsumaria added. “These vehicles were attempting to attack security forces stationed in Hayy al-Karama, east of Mosul,” Alsumaria explained. Security forces continue battles to liberate the province of Nineveh that was launched in 17th October 2016. Iraqi forces capture Abba Rajab village (IraqiNews.com) Nineveh – Abdel Amir Yarallah, Commander of operation “We Are Coming, Nineveh” announced on Thursday liberating the village of Abbas Rajab, north of al-Zab area in Nineveh, and raised the Iraqi flag over its buildings. Media officials with the Ministry of Defense quoted Yarallah as saying, “Troops of the army’s 35th and 37th brigades liberated the village of Abbas Rajab and raised the Iraqi flag over its buildings,” pointing out that, “The progress of the forces is ongoing.” Joint security forces, backed by Iraqi Army Aviation and international coalition are continuing the battle to liberate the city of Mosul from the Islamic State’s grip. Newly minted ISIS official dies in Mosul Some days you get the bear; some days the bear gets you (IraqiNews.com) Nineveh – Media officials with the Ministry of Defense announced on Thursday the killing of the new War Official of the Islamic State extremist group in a military operation, in eastern Mosul. The officials said in a press statement, “The terrorist, known as Khaled al-Mitwiti, the new War Official of the Islamic State was killed, after the killing of the former official Mohanad, who was also known as Abi Aisha al-Beblawi.” “Mitwiti was killed by the army’s 9th Armored Brigade in al-Eintsar area, in the western coast of the city of Mosul,” Alsumaria added. Iraqi militia prepare to attack Turkmen region (IraqiNews.com) Baghdad – Militias partaking in the fight to liberate the province of Nineveh from Islamic State militants are preparing for storming the Tal Afar precinct, Nineveh, but bearing in mind the sensitivity of the mostly-Turkmen region. As the Sunni, Turkish-trained Nineveh Guards warn of sectarian twists following the liberation of Tal Afar, the Shia Hezbollah al-Nujabaa said it has no intention to change the area’s demographics. Mahmoud al-Sorgy, a spokesperson for Guards of Nineveh, urged Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to deal with the battle of Tal Afar with “accuracy and sensitivity”.een no genuine intention to resolve it.” Commenting on preparations by the mostly-Shia al-Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary forces to partake in the liberation the city. “The problem with Tal Afar is nothing new, and there hadn’t been a genuine intention to resolve it,” al-Sorgy told Alsumaria TV on Wednsday. He added that the battle for Tal Afar is now halted for “political reasons.” Turkey had warned of the sensitivity of Tal Afar, warning of retaliatory measures by the advancing paramilitary forces, most notably al-Hashed al-Shaabi, against its Turkmen population. Prime minister Abadi had also assured that it gives more attention to the region than any other. “Liberation is the duty of every Iraqi, and if it requires the participation of al-Hashed al-Shaabi or any other group, there will be no problem, but let’s work on ensuring there are no problems following the liberation.” On its behalf, Hezbollah al-Nujabaa, a component of al-Hashed al-Shaabi, has said it is going to engage in “a ferocious fight” against ISIS in Tal Afar , but denied plans for a demographic change in the precinct. Speaking to Alsumaria TV, the group’s spokesman, Hashem al-Mosawi, said the first two phases of the battle for Tal Afar had been finished. “Only remains is the storming of the precinct as phase three. He pointed that while the fight is “intense” on the military level, there is also a “political dispute” on the area, with Turkey intervening on the issue with “lame excuses,” as he put it. “We do not intend to induce a demographic change, or occupy or settle in Tal Afar. We are rather seeking to purge it and return the refugees,” he added. Hamadaniya City: Empty and Deserted Hamadaniya and London – Peshmerga Forces liberated on Wednesday the Bashiqa strategic town from ISIS control, but warned civilians of a hasty return to the town given that houses and roads might be booby-trapped. Earlier in October, Iraqi army and counter terrorism forces liberated Hamadaniya district, 27 Km southeast of Mosul, after ISIS had occupied it for over two years. Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper toured the now-almost completely destroyed city. ISIS demolished most of the infrastructure of Hamadaniya and booby-trapped the rest. Nineveh police forces took control of the city after liberation, while the military engineering troops are in control of clearing it out of any explosives or bombs. Nineveh police officer Mohammed accompanied Asharq Al-Awsat in its visit. He asked us to be careful while touring because of ISIS’ bombs. He told us to follow his steps as he explained how the city was occupied and destroyed by ISIS. I wasn’t able to find a single house in Hamadaniya that wasn’t damaged, burnt, or destroyed by ISIS militants who fled the town to al-Entisar neighborhood, which was also liberated a few days ago. Hamadaniya, which was highly populated by Iraqi Christians, is now empty and civilians find it hard to return to the city due to lack of services (water and electricity), and the absence of public institutions. We noticed graffiti on the walls with ISIS’ slogans and names of officials. According to an Iraqi security officer, a local ISIS leader would pay a large sum of money to own a neighborhood, and writes his name on the wall. The militant would then loot the neighborhood and rob all its houses and stores. ISIS is highly dependent on explosives in its battles against Iraqi forces. It also resorts to booby-trapped cars and snipers while its members hide in tunnels wide enough for vehicles to pass through. Hamadaniya district president Nisan Rzouki, who was with us during our tour, said that certain areas in the town are still unsafe. He explained that the forces are still demining the area and clearing it of any ISIS fighters that might be hiding in the tunnels. During his interview with Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, Rzouki stressed that the return of civilians to Hamadaniya requires a certain timeframe if the federal government and international organizations are not ready to support such a move. According to the district president, 80% of Hamadaniya has been destroyed. He also called on authorities to consider the city a disaster area. |
| Posted by:badanov |