More than 16,000 Islamic State members killed since start of Mosul operations: Spokesperson
The spokesman for the Joint Operations Command Brigadier General Yahya Rasoul
During a press conference on Tuesday, Brigadier General Yahya Rasool said “the total deaths of IS have reached up to 16,467 militants until yesterday.”
“100 percent of the area of eastern Mosul is under control of the troops,” Rasool said adding that life returned back to normal.
679 booby-trapping vehicles, 11 headquarters of the group, 47 drones and 76 booby-trapping workshops were destroyed while 6,661 bombs and 217 explosive belts were defused, according to Rasool.
“89.5 percent of western Mosul was liberated. Only few districts are remaining under the militants control,” he said adding that the paramilitary troops of al-Hashd al-Shaabi “made extreme advance toward Qairawan and Baaj regions.”
Meanwhile, Iraqi troops have isolated the main battlefields, besieging the IS militants is some districts.
Captain Ali al-Daraji, of the army’s Counter-Terrorism Service, told Shafaq News that the Iraqi forces imposed its full control on Tamuz roundabout and Hafsa bint Omar mosque, in the northwest of Mosul.
The troops now isolate 17 Tamuz (July 17th) district from districts of al-Refaie and al-Najjar, besieging the militants in the alleys and streets of the district.
In related news, Lieutenant-General Abdul Ghani al-Assadi, CTS commander, said the coming few days will witness the full liberation of Mosul to be declared as an IS-free city.
He added that once Islah al-Zeraie district was liberated, CTS troops were able to free al-Ureibi district, which enabled blocking the communication between the militants there and the rest in 17 Tamuz and al-Iqtisadiyeen districts, forcing them to head toward the Old City, which will be there last stronghold.