1757 Islamic State militants killed since start of phase2 operations in Mosul

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Iraq’s defense ministry media has put the number of Islamic State fighters killed this week at 1757 as operations proceed to clear the eastern section of the city of Mosul from militants.

This is the number of militants killed since Iraqi government troops, backed by a US-led international military coalition and popular militias, launched a second phase of a major operation to retake Iraq’s second largest city on December 29th, according to the ministry’ War Media Cell.

Friday alone saw 449 IS combatants falling down as forces retook more districts in the north and southeast of the city, the media unit said.

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.

IS remains in control over most of the western side of the river, 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.