Tuesday, March 19, 2024

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Islamic State militants fight over food in western Mosul, one dead

 Islamic State militants fight over food in western Mosul, one dead

Members of the Islamic State group.

Members of the Islamic State group.
Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) One Islamic State militant was killed and two others were injured in western Mosul as the trio fought over a foodstuff load, yet another indication of growing divisions within the group as it loses more ground to Iraqi government forces.

A local source told Alsumaria News on Thursday that the trio had a heated argument over the handling of an amount of foodstuff at the centre of the town of Tal Afar.

The source added that the argument grew fiercer and developed into an armed fight which left one member killed and two others wounded. He said disputes have flared among IS members as conditions in the town grow more difficult amid ammunition and food shortages. The situation is even harder for civilians who are enduring a scarcity of food supplies, some of which the extremist group offers for expensive prices to secure more finances.

Iraqi government forces, backed by a U.S.-led international military coalition and popular militias are preparing for a new phase of operations to retake Mosul from IS militants. Since their launch in October 2016, operations have managed to retake almost all of districts in the east of the city. Islamic State still controls a majority of territory in the west.

The group has reportedly sustained severe personnel losses and ceded more space to advancing government forces since a second phase of operations began late December. Reports of serious rifts within the group’s ranks have become common since then.

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