Special forces to change tactics in western Mosul given bad weather
Iraqi security forces in western Mosul.
Maj. Thamer Ismail, commander of the Rapid Response forces, one of the elite forces leading the operations against IS in western Mosul, said combat missions for Saturday will rely on air and artillery strikes due to bad weather conditions in the city.
“Security forces will take the defense line today due to worsening weather conditions in Mosul..targets will be concentrated and (handled) via aircraft and artillery to exhaust Daesh (Islamic State),” Alghad Press quoted him saying.
Ismail said forces shall proceed towards liberating the remaining regions of western Mosul once the weather gets better.
Iraqi government forces took over eastern Mosul in January after three months of fighting with IS, and have entered a third week of operations to clear the western region from militants. The troops have become closer to the central Mosul’s Old City, having recaptured major government facilities, a military base and the city’s airport.
Weather conditions had been one reason behind occasional operation slowdowns during battles at the east of the city.