Senior Islamic State member, five suiciders killed in central Mosul airstrike
Military vehicles of Iraqi security forces are seen during a battle with Islamic State militants, in al-Zuhoor neighborhood of Mosul, Iraq, January 8, 2017. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari
The strike on al-Amel district was carried out based on an intelligence tip-off, according to the defense ministry’s War Media Cell.
Federal Police also reported they have killed five IS suiciders after an attempted attack on the forces in Sumer district, which police recaptured earlier on Thursday.
Since operations to retake Mosul launched in October, Iraqi forces, backed by an aerial cover from a US-led military coalition, have become in control over nearly 50 out of 84 districts in eastern Mosul, and commanders declared earlier this week they had reached the eastern bank of the Tigris River, which bisects the city. IS still maintains strongholds in the west.
Iraqi generals said recently they had reached the eastern bank of the Tigris River which separates the city’s east and west, and hope to recapture the east soon to move towards IS western hideouts.
Iraqi military media have put the number of IS militants killed since the launch of operations in October at at least 1757.
The conflict in Mosul has forced more than 173.000 civilians to flee homes in the city.