Iraqi forces advance in western Mosul

MOSUL: Iraqi forces were making advances in western Mosul, entering a new neighbourhood north of the airport, amid fierce resistance from IS militants, a security official said on Saturday. Iraqi troops entered the neighbourhood of Wadi Hajjar, on the northern border of Mosul airport, according to General Thamer al Husseini, head of the Rapid Response Forces that is affiliated with the Defence Ministry. Heavy clashes are under way between Iraqi forces and IS militants in the area, which Al Husseini described as the first working-class neighbourhood the US-backed troops entered in western Mosul. The militants gutted several shops close to Wadi Hajjar, and also set oil on fire to block the soldiers’ vision with black smoke, he said.

The Rapid Response Forces managed to foil the bombings of 20 houses and defused around 50 bombs, Al Husseini added. Last week, Iraqi forces started a major offensive to dislodge IS from the western section of Mosul, almost a month after they drove the militants from the eastern side of the city. The battle for regaining the western side of Mosul is likely to be tough because of the population density and narrow streets. IS seized Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, in mid-2014. The city is seen as IS’s last key stronghold in Iraq. In recent months, the extremist group has suffered military setbacks and lost territory in Iraq and Syria. — DPA