Iraqi security forces on Thursday resumed an offensive to rid eastern Mosul from the self-styled Islamic State terrorist group after a two-week pause, an Iraqi Army official said.
Iraqi officials brought in reinforcements to aid the Iraqi Army, police and elite counter-terrorism forces during the pause in the offensive. The efforts against the militant group in Mosul had stalled, as fierce resistance from the IS caused heavy Iraqi casualties.
Iraqi security forces, aided by the Kurdish Peshmerga, Shia militias and a US-led international coalition, began a ground offensive on October 17 to capture Mosul away from the terrorist group’s control.
“We are facing a very limited resistance compared to the early days of the operation,” Brig. Gen. Walid Khalifa, deputy commander of the ninth Iraqi Army Division, said. “The enemy is collapsing and it’s only a matter of days to control the whole eastern part.”
Iraq’s elite counter-terrorism force is focused on capturing Mosul’s Karama and Quds neighborhoods. About 1 million people are estimated to still live in Mosul.
“We are advancing very slowly to preserve the life of the civilians,” Lt. Gen. Abdul Ghani al-Asadi said.
On Wednesday, Iraqi security forces repelled two IS counter-attacks in which a large number of militants were killed, Brig. Muhammad Wakaa said.
“We foiled their attack, and we took control of much equipment and explosives belonging to them ... Even though the weather was very bad, we successfully repelled the attack,” Wakaa said.
“I can’t tell how many [were killed] in today’s attack, but there certainly was a big number.”
In a statement, Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Rasheed Jarallah said Iraqi security forces freed the al-Sada and Tawilah villages north of Mosul on Thursday.
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