Military media: army killed more than 1300 IS militants in Mosul since February

Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi army forces had killed more than 1300 Islamic State militants since operations launched on February 19th to retake the western flank of Mosul, military media said.

The Defense Ministry’s War Media Cell, quoting the command of the Nineveh Operations, said the army’s 9th division had killed 1336 Islamic State members, including senior leaders, since the start of offensives in February.

The statement said a total of 55 districts, villages and vital facilities had been recaptured, covering a total area of 406 square kilometers.

A total of refugees evacuated from the division’s scope of operations stood at 111750, according to the media outlet.

Besides human losses on militants behalf, 139 booby-trapped vehicles were detonated, 11 drones shot down, 61 rest houses, ten booby-trapping workshops and five command centers were demolished.

Earlier this week, the Interior Ministry said its forces had killed more than 850 Islamic State members since the start of the western Mosul offensive.

Iraqi government forces recaptured eastern Mosul in January, and commanders currently claim control over 70 percent of the western side.

Forces are currently moving on a new front of operations, targeting the IS-held, strategic Old City area from the northwest. Retaking that area will represent a major symbolic victory, being the place from where IS declared its rule over Iraq and Syria in 2014.