Army recaptures eastern Mosul district as anti-IS operations proceed

Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi army forces recaptured on Saturday one more district in eastern Mosul as a second phase of security operations continue to clear the region from Islamic State militants.

Abdul-Amir Yarallah, the top commander of the joint forces operations in Nineveh, said in a statement that elite Counter-Terrorism Service forces have retaken al-Ghofran district, southeast of the city, raising Iraqi flags above its buildings.

Marking the 96th anniversary of the establishment of the Iraqi army, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said forces had, so far, recaptured two thirds of Nineveh, the province embedding Mosul.
Military officials were quoted recently as saying that government troops became in control of 70 percent of the city’s eastern section. Advances made on Friday put the forces one more step closer to the Tigris River, which bisects the city.

Iraq’s defense ministry media has put the number of Islamic State fighters killed this week at 1757 since a second phase of operations kicked off after weeks of recess.

IS remains in control over most of the western side of the city, which is close to its strongholds in Syria.

The conflict in Mosul has forced at least 160.000 to flee homes to refugee camps since October, when operations launched to liberate the city.