Counter Terrorism commander: Eastern Mosul will be liberated within next week

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – In the fourth day of the second phase of Mosul operation, several neighborhoods from the eastern side of the city have been liberated from the Islamic State (IS) invasion.

The Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in a meeting with the army commanders on Saturday stated that the Mosul operation has reached a decisive stage and is going as planned.

Abadi added that the Iraqi security forces were fighting with high moral and the enemy was collapsing and refracting on the battlefield.

Major General Sami al-Ardhi, a commander in the Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) told the state television on saturday that “Within a week, the eastern side of Mosul will be liberated from the IS extremists.”

Al-Ardhi also stated that as the military operation continues, half of the eastern side of the city has been retaken so far.

According to the security and army sources, in the first three days of the second phase of Mosul operation the neighborhoods of al-Quds, al-Sada, al-Karoub, al-Intissar Yunus al-Sabaawi Yafa and al-Karama have come under the control of the Iraqi forces.

Large numbers of civilians from the newly liberated areas leave their homes and head towards areas previously liberated, fearing IS counter attacks, suicide car bombs or mortar fires.

The following video shows hundreds of families in al-Quds neighborhood are preparing to leave their homes.

A Kurdistan24 correspondent, reporting from the newly liberated al-Karama, stated that the Iraqi army uses helicopter gunships to target the IS.

On Oct. 17, Iraqi and Peshmerga forces with the support of the US-led coalition warplanes launched the military operation to retake Mosul from the insurgent group.

In late 2016, Haider al-Abadi, the Iraqi Prime Minister stated “IS would be defeated in Iraq within the next three months,” explaining that security forces were making advances in Mosul.

Editing by Ava Homa