UPDATED: Iraqi forces retake 2 major districts following Mosul airport victory
Dead bodies of ISIS militants.
Sky News Arabia quoted Haider al-Maturi, an Iraqi army commandos chief, as saying that the forces invaded al-Tayaran. He said the forces detonated nine booby-trapped cars planted by IS militants, but a tenth vehicle exploded, killing two police members.
Meanwhile, Abdul-Amir Yarallah, commander of the Joint Operations Command’s operations in Nineveh, said in statements that troops also retook al-Maamoun district, with the forces arresting several militants of diverse nationalities.
Iraqi police forces also said Sunday they had killed three snipers from the Islamic State group in southern Mosul, and took control over the Baghdad-Mosul road.
Bas News quoted Cap. Karim Gamal, from the Iraqi Federal Police service, saying that the force killed three IS snipers, including a Russian national, at Wadi Hajar region, south of Mosul. The troops also ran into a weapons stashes in the area.
Meanwhile, Aziz al-Aaraji, a colonel at the Federal Police, said the forces also took over the southern road linking Baghdad with Mosul. He said the takeover followed encounters with IS militants which left 20 extremists dead. He added that seven others were arrested while attempting to escape the area after police captured it.
Regarding the situation with refugees fleeing battles in Mosul, the Migration and Displacement Ministry said Sunday that 2380 people fled western Mosul in 24 hours.
Aaraji said security forces had invaded al-Mansour area in southern Mosul, and had opened safe exit routes for civilians fleeing southwards from IS-held areas.
Iraqi government forces pushed deeper into western Mosul until late Saturday, announcing the recapture of the Mosul Airport and the nearby Ghizlani military camp, with several senior IS commanders announced dead. They pushed further to announce later the takeover of al-Tayaran and Maamoun districts near the airport.
Iraqi forces recaptured eastern Mosul late January after three months of fighting, and are carrying on with U.S.-led coalition-backed operations to retake the west since last Sunday.
Iraqi and coalition generals estimated the time needed to retake that area by six months.
The United Nations fears fighting in western Mosul could displace at least 250.000 civilians.