Iraqi army commander: Second phase of Mosul operation to start in three fronts

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – An Iraqi army commander stated that the preparations for the second phase of Mosul operation are almost complete.

Major General Maan al-Saadi told the state television that his forces "are ready for the next stage of the operation to liberate the eastern side of the city of Mosul.”

“Counter-Terrorism forces, the 9^th Armored Division, and the 16^th Infantry Division are fully ready and have nearly completed all the preparatory actions for the second stage of the Mosul operation, supported by the air force and artillery, to liberated the other parts of Mosul,” al-Saadi said.

Al-Saadi revealed that the operation will be launched from three frontlines towards the remaining Islamic State (IS)-controlled areas in the left coast of Mosul.

“The 9^th Armored Division will advance from the north of Mosul, the 16^th Infantry Division fight in the southern front and from the east front Counter-Terrorism forces will be advancing towards the eastern side of Mosul,” Al-Saadi explained.

Brigadier-general Dhanun al-Sabaa’wy, a commander in the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Services told the state-owned al-Sabah newspaper on Wednesday that a coalition airstrike killed the head of IS police in Mosul alongside seven other IS extremists close to the Tigris river in Mosul.

“In the past few hours there have been intensive air power campaigns against IS extremists inside Mosul which inflicted big losses upon the extremists,” al-Sabaa’wy added.

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

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.

Editing by Ava Homa