Iraqi police head to western Mosul, child, 3 militants killed by drones
The commander of the Federal Police Command, Raed Shakir Jawdat. Archival photo.
Lt. Gen. Shaker Jawdat said Federal Police have completed their preparations for engagement in operations to recapture western Mosul.
The Iraqi government, which launched a major, U.S.-backed campaign to retake Mosul from Islamic State extremists, has not yet officially given orders to joint forces to proceed towards the west. Operations have so far succeeded to retake the eastern region on January 24th.
In the west, local sources said drone attacks killed one child and three Islamic State members.
A source told Alsumaria News that three IS members, including a Syrian national nicknamed Abu Sarhan al-Souri, were killed in a presumed drone attack that targeted their vehicle near Islah al-Zerai district.
“Al-Souri is a leading (IS) security figure in western Mosul, and was behind many executions of civilians over the past months,” the source said.
Another local source told the network that a four-year-old child was killed and his parents were wounded by an IS-guided drone which dropped a bomb on them near al-Farouq district.
“The skies of the western side of Mosul have witnessed an obvious activity by Islamic State drones that fly towards the eastern districts,” said the source.