5 soldiers, tens of ISIS dead in eastern Mosul battles

Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) Five Iraqi army troopers and dozens of Islamic State (ISIS) militants died in battles in the eastern section of Mosul on Wednesday as a security campaign launched in October continues to recapture the city from militants.

Anadolu Agency quoted Lit.Col. Khalaf al-Qaisi, an Iraqi army officer, as saying that the battles occurred southeast of the eastern shore of Mosul. “Troops from the 9th division advanced today towards al-Salam hospital in Wahda district, and has been engaging in fierce street-to-street fights with Daesh (ISIS) who used high buildings as firing positions so as to hold off the advancing troops,” he said. “The clashes left five soldiers dead, eight others wounded and one army Hummer vehicle destroyed,” Qaisi said, adding that scores of militants were also killed and had their military equipment destroyed.

The same division had sustained severe losses at the hospital’s vicinity which forced troops to withdraw a week ago.

Earlier on Wednesday, 13 Islamic State (ISIS) militants were killed on when US-led international coalition fighter jets carried out two airstrikes in eastern Mosul, a security source told the National Iraqi News Agency (NINA). London-based the New Arab reported that at least 40 civilians were killed and scores were wounded in bombardments of liberated areas of Mosul as battles continue between Islamic State militants and Iraqi security forces since dawn.