Hashd al-Shaabi forces continue advance west of Mosul
QAIRAWAN, Mosul (Kurdistan24) – Iraqi Shia militia Hashd al-Shaabi on Thursday announced they liberated villages west of the Qairawan region, advancing closer to the Syrian border.
The armed group, also known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), claimed to have made significant gains toward the al-Baaj area, west of Mosul.
A statement from the troops stated they had “freed the Arfee’ al-Awal village on Thursday, northeast of Qairawan, inflicting huge losses on the enemy,” Iraqi News reported.
“The 11th Brigade liberated the al-Wahbi village, northeast of Baaj,” the report added.
The Shia forces destroyed a booby-trapped vehicle as Islamic State (IS) militants tried to stall the soldiers’ advance.
According to the statement, the PMF tracked seven IS cars attempting to flee Wahbi.
“All the vehicles were equipped with guns, while only one was booby-trapped,” a Shia fighter noted.
On Wednesday, Hashd al-Shaabi continued the second phase of its offensive to free the remaining villages in the Qairawan and Baaj area.
Several villages in Qairawan, IS’ main stronghold linking Tal Afar to the Syrian-Iraqi border, have been liberated by the Shia force since the beginning of May.
On Tuesday, the PMF declared they had successfully ousted the extremist group from Qairawan after ten days of fierce fighting.
According to military analysts, the Shia force is aiming to progress into Baaj in the south of Sinjar (Shingal), an area where IS leader Abu Bakir al-Baghdadi is believed to be hiding.
The PMF’s operation near Qairawan in southern Shingal has concerned the Peshmerga as the Shia troops approach Kurdish Ezidi-populated areas still under IS control.
Editing by G. H. Renaud
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