A third of eastern Mosul liberated from IS

The operation to free Mosul from the control of the Islamic State (IS) continued for the seventh week on Tuesday as the Iraqi army declared the liberation of one third of the city.

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The operation to free Mosul from the control of the Islamic State (IS) continued for the seventh week on Tuesday as the Iraqi army declared the liberation of one third of the city.

The spokespersons of the US-led coalition, Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga forces, Iraqi army, and Ministry of Interior held a joint press conference in Qayyarah air base southeast of Mosul to discuss updates regarding the operation.

During the press conference, Colonel John Dorrian, the spokesperson for the US-led coalition, said airstrikes had destroyed 59 Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (VBIEDs) so far, and over 80 tunnels, killing hundreds of IS extremists.

Dorrian revealed since the start of the operation to liberate Mosul, the coalition conducted over 4,000 airstrikes and artillery and missile shells on IS positions.

“We will continue to strike the enemy for as long as it takes for the Iraqi flag to be raised over Mosul,” he added,

Brigadier General Saad Maad, the spokesperson of the Iraqi Interior Ministry, stated the Iraqi security forces had been able to liberate a third of the left coast (eastern side) of Mosul city so far.

Moreover, Maad assured the people of Mosul the military operation would continue until the whole city was liberated from IS.

Meanwhile, Halgurd Hikmat, the head of the Peshmerga Ministry’s Media Office, told reporters Peshmerga forces continued to support the Iraqi army in the Mosul offensive and would continue their fight against IS.

Hikmat added that in coordination with coalition forces, Peshmerga would launch military operations against IS in the future but the time had not been decided.

Kurdish Peshmerga and Iraqi forces launched the military operation to retake Mosul from IS on Oct. 17.

 

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany