Iraqi forces control Mosul airport, encircle west coast
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Iraqi security forces announced on Thursday that they have entered the city’s airport and declared full control over the strategic facility.
On the fifth day of the military operation to retake the west side of Mosul, Iraqi forces retook the Mosul Airport from the jihadists, located in the south of the city.
The Iraqi state television confirmed that the federal police and the Counter-Terrorism forces have fully liberated the Mosul Airport from the Islamic State (IS) extremists.
In the morning, the Iraqi forces captured al-Yarmouk village near the Airport.
On a different front, Counter-Terrorism forces seized al-Rayan Hills located in western Ghazlany military base, south of Mosul.
In addition, the Iraqi Ministry of Defense said in a statement that the security forces have been able to encircle the IS-held city of Mosul from all sides.
“The Armored Division and al-Abbas battalion of Hashd al-Shaabi, with the support of Iraqi warplanes, advanced towards the al-Atshan Mountain on the southwestern Mosul frontline,” the statement added.
Elsewhere, the Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi at a meeting with the US Secretary of State said that despite the challenges, the operation to liberate western Mosul has been going on as planned.
Abadi explained that the strategy of Iraqi forces in the Mosul battle is protecting civilian lives, calling for more international support in the war against terror.
On February 19, Abadi announced the launch of the military offensive to retake the remaining parts of Mosul from the extremist group.
The Iraqi PM said the priority of the Iraqi security forces would be freeing civilians who remain trapped in the area.
The extremist group occupied Mosul in June 2014 and shortly after expanded to other parts of Iraq including Nineveh, Diyala, Salahaddin, Anbar, and Kirkuk Province.
Since then, the group has lost control over large swaths of territory in the country and continues to shrink in its self-proclaimed capital of Mosul, the second-largest city in Iraq.
Editing by Ava Homa