Airstrikes destroys over 100 ISIS boats in Nineveh
Representational photo.
(IraqiNews.com) Nineveh – Army’s 91st Brigade spokesperson Major Amin Sheikani on Sunday announced that nine ISIS boats were destroyed in an airstrike southeast of Nineveh, while the US-led coalition’s warplanes have bombed over 100 ISIS boats near Qayyarah and Sultan Abdullah.
“Today, the international coalition aircraft bombarded nine ISIS boats south-west of Nineveh province, destroying the boats completely and killing their occupants,” Sheikhani said.
Sheikhani added that the ISIS members were using the boats to transfer food and weapons between Sidaw, Makouk, Khabata, Salihiya and Khalidiya villages that are located on the banks of the Tigris River.
Meanwhile, the US-led coalition’s warplanes have reportedly sunk over 100 ISIS boats, destroying 65 of them on September, as part of efforts to blunt the ISIS use of watercraft to transport fighters and conduct attacks.
While the US and its allies have been striking ISIS boats for months, the last few weeks have seen a major increase in the number that have been sunk, with over 50 destroyed boats on September 16 and 14. Those strikes were carried out near the cities of Qayyarah and Sultan Abdallah, which are located along the Tigris River south of the ISIS-held city of Mosul.
Experts think that the increase in the number of strikes is tied to the upcoming effort to regain control over Mosul, which military officials have said could start as early as October.