Mosul civilians requested to raise white flag during offensive

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The Nineveh Military Commander on Saturday asked the civilians inside Mosul to raise white flags on top of their houses to avoid being mistakenly targeted by security forces during the upcoming offensive.

Mosul, the second-largest city in the north of Iraq, has been under the control of the Islamic State (IS) since June 2014.

Iraqi security forces and the US-led coalition are now close to launching the military operation in the city.

In a statement to Iraqi al-Mada news outlet on Friday, the Commander of Nineveh Operations Major General Najim al-Jabouri called on the people of Mosul to stand against the jihadist group.

Jabouri praised the efforts of the people of Qayyarah town in the south of Mosul who helped rid IS from the area during the recent operation by Iraqi security forces.

Moreover, Jabouri encouraged the people of Mosul to play a similar role.

The Commander also advised the civilians in Mosul to stay in their homes and raise a white flag on the top of their roofs when the military offensive begins.

He explained that the white flags would help the security forces recognize IS positions.

Jabouri hoped that the people inside the city would help lead the security forces to IS locations in Mosul.

Previously, the US Special Presidential Envoy Brett McGurk stated that the jihadist group had lost over 50 percent of its territory in Iraq and 20 percent in Syria.

McGurk noted that IS members had also lost the morale of fighting, and the group continues to shrink in Iraq and Syria.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany