PHOTOS: Iraqi planes drop seven million leaflets on Mosul

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – On Tuesday, Iraqi air forces dropped seven million leaflets on different parts of Nineveh province in northern Iraq, asking residents of Mosul to cooperate with the Iraqi army and avoid Islamic State (IS) locations in the area.

Iraqi Joint Special Operation Command announced on Wednesday that Iraqi air forces have dropped over seven million leaflets on Nineveh in general and Mosul in particular which is believed to be the largest number of leaflets dropped since World War II.

The leaflets were dropped on 16 locations in Nineveh. Two million leaflets on the center of Mosul city, 500,000 leaflets on each one of the following towns: Hamdaniya, al-Ba’aaj, al-Hazar, and Talafar.

Moreover, 250,000 more leaflets were dropped separately on the towns of Bashiqa, Hamam Alil, al-Shura, al-Mahaliya, al-Hmidat, Bartila, al-Namroud, al-Qahtaniya, Til Abta, al-Ayaziya and al-Qirwan

The leaflets indicated the liberated territories from the IS in the country, showing Mosul offensive is about to launch, asking residents to avoid the jihadist bases and help Iraqi security forces to target IS locations.

The leaflets also called on the Iraqi residents in Mosul to give up fighting for the IS and help Iraqi army defeat the group in the country.

The following is a copy of the seven million leaflets dropped for civilians:

On September 3, Iraqi fighter jets flew over the villages of Shirqat and Zuwiyah in the south of Mosul and dropped leaflets for civilians. The leaflets asked residents to help Iraqi security forces when they enter the area, similar to the people of al-Qayyarah town.

IS emerged in northern Iraq in June 2014 and expanded to other areas in the country. Since then, the group has lost large swaths of territory and continues to shrink.

Editing by Ava Homa