Friday, March 29, 2024

Baghdad

Army recaptures Tel Kaif, Fadhiliya, north of Mosul

 Army recaptures Tel Kaif, Fadhiliya, north of Mosul

Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) react after a car bomb exploded during an operation to clear the al-Andalus district of Islamic State militants, in Mosul, Iraq. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed

Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) react after a car bomb exploded during an operation to clear the al-Andalus district of Islamic State militants, in Mosul, Iraq. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed
Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi army commanders said Thursday forces had recaptured the town of Tel Kaif, one of the last few remaining Islamic State strongholds in the eastern section of Mosul.

Abdul-Amir Yarallah, commander of the Joint Operations Command’s battles in Nineveh, said army forces raised the Iraqi flags above the mostly-Christian town’s buildings, and had earlier recaptured presidential palaces, a hotel, a municipality building and a courthouse.

Forces also recaptured Fadhiliya district, and stormed al-Arabi, according to Yarallah, all with the backing of Iraq and US-led international coalition fighter jets.

On Wednesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said the basic military plan for Mosul’s liberation had been completed “in most combat axes” with the recapture of central Mosul, adding that operations continue to liberate the Ghabat and Presidential Palaces area besides “a few other regions” in the north of the city.

Commanders from the Iraqi army’s elite Counter-Terrorism Forces said in a press conference on the same day they had retaken all districts assigned to them in eastern Mosul, killing 3300 militants since operations launched in October 2016.

After getting finished with eastern Mosul, Iraqi generals plan to advance to the western region of the city beyond the Tigris River, where Islamic State still predominates a majority of territory.

The campaign to retake Mosul has entered its third month, with Iraqi government forces backed by U.S.-led international coalition fighter jets as well as popular militias.

IS militants have reportedly began retreating to their western Mosul strongholds.

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