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Senior Arab IS leaders killed in airstrike in western Mosul

 Senior Arab IS leaders killed in airstrike in western Mosul

Smoke rises after an airstrike, during the battle against Islamic State militants, at the district of al-Mamoun in Mosul, Iraq, March 1, 2017. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani – RTS10XG7

Smoke rises after an airstrike, during the battle against Islamic State militants, at the district of al-Mamoun in Mosul, Iraq, March 1, 2017. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani – RTS10XG7

Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi air forces hit Islamic State locations in western Mosul on Sunday, killing a number of leaders, mostly Arabs, as operations continue to clear the region from militants.

In a statement on Sunday, the air force mentioned that depending on information from the military intelligence department, the aircraft destroyed a site for IS leaders, killing most of them including Abdullah al-Hayyaf, a Saudi national, Khaled Mohamed Hazzaa al-Shemary, a Saudi national, and Abdel Rahman Mohamed Murad, Iraqi Broadcasting Networks reported.

Mosul is the Islamic State’s last stronghold in Iraq. Eastern Mosul and about half of the west were recaptured from IS in January, after a US-backed offensive was launched in October. A new offensive started in February to retake the west. The government troops have recently pushed deeper into the Old City, a densely-populated and -structured area which military officials view as central to the desired victory over IS militants.

Battles in the west are believed to be much more difficult due to the density of residential areas and the high number of civilians who the commanders believe are used as human shields by IS members.

 

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