Tabnak – After months of heavy fighting against the terrorists in Mosul, Iraqi special forces declared that they have successfully liberated the city from ISIS’ hands. Losing their last stronghold in Iraq, all eyes now are on the future of anti-terrorist operations in Syria, where various local and international forces are involved.
According to a report published by the Associated Press, Iraq's special forces declared their aspect of the mission to reclaim Mosul completed on Saturday. However heavy fighting still looms between other Iraqi forces and ISIS group as the terrorist group clings to a dwindling portion of Iraq's second largest city.
ISIS still controls some eight square kilometers of western Mosul, including the dense Old City where some of the toughest battles are expected to play out. It remains to be seen which of the multiple government forces encircling Mosul will be tasked with assaulting the final IS stronghold districts.
Special forces spokesman Sabah al-Numan said his troops had completed their initial mission, but stood ready "to support any other forces if we are ordered to by the Prime Minister".
The battle to retake the city from the terrorists began in November as a joint initiative between Iraqi government forces, the Kurdish Peshmerga and US-led coalition.
In a separate statement, Iraqi President Fuad Masum today voiced hopes that west Mosul will be freed over the next few days. "Iraq has achieved a decisive victory over terrorism, but we hope in the next few days to achieve a complete liberation of Mosul," Masum made the remarks while addressing the World Economic Forum's regional gathering held in Jordan on Saturday.
Meanwhile, it seems that after losing some strategic positions, the ISIS terrorists have intensified their sporadic attacks against the civilians. In this vein, a series of bombings killed at least 27 people in central and southern Iraq. A suicide bombing Saturday near the oil-rich city of Basra killed at least eight people and wounded 41 others, according to a military commander.
Five civilians and three troops were killed when the bomber blew up his explosives-laden car on Friday at a checkpoint north of Basra just behind a bus waiting to be cleared, said chief of the Basra Operations Command, Lt. Gen. Jamil al-Shimmari. A second attacker drove down a desert road after the explosion and security forces killed him, al-Shimmari added.
On the other hand, it should be noted that nearly 700,000 civilians were forced to flee Mosul since the beginning of the operation to liberate the ISIS-occupied city, and 200,000 more are expected to leave, UN children's agency said on Friday.
UNICEF's Iraq representative Peter Hawkins told Anadolu Agency the condition of civilians living in the western part of Mosul occupied by ISIS is concerning and children are the most affected ones by the chaotic situation in the city.
However, Iraqi army soldiers and volunteer fighters from the Popular Mobilization Units have made sweeping gains against the terrorist elements since launching the Mosul operation. The Iraqi forces took control of eastern Mosul in January after 100 days of fighting, and launched the battle in the west on February 19.
