Iraqi General Says 70 Percent of East Mosul Retaken from Daesh
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Iraqi forces have retaken around 70 percent of eastern Mosul from Daesh terrorists and expect to reach the river bisecting the city in the coming days, Iraq's joint operations commander said.
Lieutenant General Talib Shaghati, who is also head of the elite counter-terrorism service (CTS) spearheading the campaign to retake the northern city, said the cooperation of residents was helping them advance against Daesh.
In its 12th week, the offensive has gained momentum since Iraqi forces renewed their push for the city a week ago, clearing several more eastern districts despite fierce resistance.
"Roughly 65-70 percent of the eastern side has been liberated," Shaghati told Reuters late on Wednesday in Erbil. "I think in the coming few days we will see the full liberation of the eastern side."
The western half of the city remains under the full control of Daesh, which is fighting to hold on to its largest urban stronghold with snipers and suicide car bombs numbering "in the hundreds" according to Shaghati.
The Mosul operation, involving a 100,000-strong ground force of Iraqi government troops, members of the autonomous Kurdish security forces and popular forces, known as Hashd al-Shaabi, is the most complex battle in Iraq since the US-led invasion in 2003.
Although vastly outnumbered, the terrorists have used the urban terrain to their advantage, concealing car bombs in narrow alleys, posting snipers on tall buildings with civilians on lower floors and making tunnels and surface-level passageways between buildings. They have also embedded themselves among the local population.
