Airstrike injures IS judge, kills son, two guards in western Mosul

Mosul (IraqiNews.com) An Islamic State member heading the group’s ‘grievances court’ in the strategic IS stronghold of Tal Afar town was injured, while his son and two of his guards were killed in an airstrike launched in western Mosul, a local source from Nineveh province said.

Speaking to Alsumaria News on Wednesday, the source said “a rest house of the Islamic State, located at the outskirts of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, was hit by an airstrike, leaving its official in charge of the ‘grievances court’ called Abu Hassan, Iraqi national, wounded. His son and two guards were killed.”

Abu Hassan, according to the source, who preferred anonymity, used to work at the ‘grievances court’ in Mosul before being transferred to Tal Afar few months earlier.

Iraqi troops as well as the U.S.-led coalition troops resume their strikes against IS-held sites in Mosul.

Mosul is the Islamic State’s last stronghold in Iraq. Eastern Mosul and about half of the west were recaptured from IS since October, when a US-backed offensive was launched. 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.