IS seals off Mosul mosque preparing for final stand off
The Islamic State (IS) has closed off streets surrounding the Great Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul’s Old City as the final battle for the area nears.
MOSUL, Iraq (Kurdistan24) – The Islamic State (IS) has closed off streets surrounding the Great Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul’s Old City as the final battle for the area approaches, according to residents.
Dozens of insurgents were seen taking up positions around the mosque where IS leader Abu Bakir al-Baghdadi declared a caliphate in July 2014, Iraqi News reported.
Since the Iraqi forces retook eastern Mosul in January, a renewed offensive has progressed in the western part of the city where the mosque is located.
Mosul is the insurgent group’s last major stronghold in Iraq, and defeat would signal the end of IS’ rule in the country.
Meanwhile, Kurdish forces backed by the US-led coalition in Syria are approaching the group’s de facto capital of Raqqa.
According to a UN report on Sunday, nearly 200,000 people who desperately require food, water, and medicine remain trapped in Mosul’s Old City.
The militant group continues to use the presence of civilians to their advantage, with many used as human shields to thwart the advance of Iraqi forces.
“[IS] fighters know that the mosque is the most important target and they are preparing for a major battle there,” an adviser to the Iraqi government Hisham al-Hashemi told Iraqi News.
The Mosul operation was launched in October 2016 with Iraqi troops hoping to liberate the city before the end of Ramadan.
Government forces have been dropping flyers over remaining districts warning civilians to flee, but the intensity of the fighting has prevented people from escaping.
Over 700,000 people have already abandoned the area, seeking refuge in the Kurdistan Region.
Editing by G. H. Renaud