7 civilians dead, wounded as Islamic State drones fall down in western Mosul

Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) Seven civilians were killed and wounded on Monday when drones guided by Islamic State extremists suddenly fell down on a residential area in western Mosul, security sources said as Iraqi government forces push to recapture the area from IS.

Alsumaria News quoted a security source as saying that the drones were supplied with explosives, and were bound to battle hotspots where Iraqi government forces began operations against the group on Sunday. The incident left one young man and one child dead, and caused injuries to five others, including two women, the source added.

Islamic State has increased the use of bomb-laden drones to target civilians and Iraqi security forces in eastern Mosul, the area which the Iraqi forces, backed by U.S.-led coalition aircraft and popular militias recaptured late January after three months of fighting.

The source, however, said the intensity of drone attacks by Islamic State had receded recently.

Iraqi joint forces, backed by Popular Mobilization Units, are struggling to clear Iraq’s second largest city and Islamic State’s largest urban stronghold in Iraq. International coalition generals had projected the city to be fully retaken within six months.

United Nations officials had warned that battles in the west could displace at least 250.000 civilians.