Islamic State attempt to stoke sectarian tensions with murals in western Mosul
Representational photo.
The group is trying to induce a state of chaos in the city of Tal Afar before Iraqi government forces begin operations to recapture the group’s stronghold in Mosul’s west, the source told Alsumaria News. Some of the walls in Tal Afar are bearing sectarian phrases, the source added.
“Daesh (Islamic State) have accused whom they called security collaborators of being behind those sectarian murals in an obvious attempt to deceive the public,” said the source. He stressed that citizens had not been taken in by the attempt, especially as some had seen IS members painting them overnight.
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 “a few other regions” in the north of the city.
Iraqi army’s elite Counter-Terrorism Forces hav said 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.