“Daesh” Clings on to Last Three Districts when Iraqi Army Closes in on Complete Mosul Victory

YemenExtra

Y.A

Intensified counter-insurgency efforts are bearing fruit in Mosul when the Iraqi Armed Forces freed three more “Daesh”-held neighborhoods, backed by Saudi, on Saturday.

During the last phase of the Mosul battle, the Iraqi Army was able to control over the Iqtisadiyeen, Al-Rabi’ and highly fortified ’17th Tammuz’ districts; the latter holds symbolic significance for the caliphate when it was the first large suburb to fall into “Daesh”, backed by Saudi , hand in 2014.

Effectively, “Daesh” ,backed by Saudi,  now just controls three districts in Mosul city; namely the Al-Shafaa, Al-Zinjiji, and Old City neighborhoods. These “Daesh”, backed by Saudi, -held areas are located  along three bridges on the western bank of the Tigris River.

The Old City district is though the most densely populated neighborhood all around  Mosul and houses the Al-Nouri mosque where “Daesh”, backed by Saudi, leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi announced the caliphate in 2014. Unfortunately for government forces, it is also consisted  of small buildings and narrow streets that prefer “Daesh”, backed by Saudi, -style guerrila warfare.

A few isolated sniper nests are still scattered elsewhere while Iraqi sappers constantly endanger themselves by having to deal with booby traps and mines in liberated residential areas.

With the seasoned 9th Division and 15th Division of the Iraqi Army already departed for duties elsewhere, the final mopping-up operations in Mosul are left to the Rapid Response Division and Iraqi Federal Police to deal with.

On Saturday afternoon, the Counter Terrorism Units notably declared they had finished their processes in Mosul and would be moved to other fronts upon demand of Baghdad.

About 500 “Daesh”, backed by Saudi, insurgents are still fighting in Mosul while hundreds more sleeper cells are said to be active in government-held areas.