Iraqi forces ‘liberated’ 80% of area south of Mosul

US troops in the Middle East on October 19, 2016 [File Photo]

An Iraqi military helicopters seen during an operation to carry coalition troops from Nineveh Joint Operations Command headquarters to various parts of Mosul, on October 19, 2016 [Anadolu Agency]

Iraqi forces have “liberated” 352 square kilometres of territory south of Mosul from Daesh forces since a wide-ranging military operation began earlier this week, an Iraqi police commander said today.

Iraqi forces, backed by US-led coalition airstrikes, launched a much-anticipated offensive late on Sunday to retake Mosul – Daesh’s last stronghold in northern Iraq.

“Iraqi forces have managed to clear 352 square kilometers [of Daesh elements] since the operation began,” Federal Police Commander Lieutenant-General Raed Shakir said in statements cited by the interior ministry.

Qayyarah Police Chief, Captain Fathy, said in a statement: “The army’s 9th brigade and Nineveh police achieved notable victories in the areas south of Mosul, from Hamdaniyah district to the Tigris River that include nearly 54 villages,” adding that, “The joint security forces managed to liberate 80 per cent of these areas until now.”

According to Amin Al-Zubaidi, a first lieutenant in the army’s Nineveh Joint Operations Command, 13 Daesh militants were killed in Mosul today – including a prominent group leader – in a drone strike carried out by US-led coalition aircraft.

“Intelligence provided by our sources inside Mosul indicates that Abu Sarah, a Daesh leader in charge of military planning, was killed – along with a number of other militants – in a coalition drone strike,” Al-Zubaidi told the Anadolu Agency.

The strike, he added, had occurred this morning in Mosul’s Dawasa area on the bank of the Tigris River, which runs through the city.

Commenting on the operation’s progress on the ground, Al-Zubaidi said Iraqi forces were encountering numerous obstacles as they advanced on the city.

“Explosive devices and booby traps planted by Daesh are impeding the progress of our armed forces,” he said.