Daesh governor for Mosul killed in coalition airstrike

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has announced the start of an offensive to drive so-called Islamic State out of the western part of Mosul.

January 24: The UN warns that 750,000 civilians in western Mosul are “at extreme risk” as Iraqi forces prepare to attack Daesh in that part of the city. Once inside the city the tempo of operations changed dramatically, with barrages of auto bombs inflicting heavy military and civilian casualties.

Iraqi forces repeatedly advanced too quickly into Mosul’s eastern neighborhoods by day, only to face punishing counterattacks by night. To reach their target, the Iraqi forces will have to clear the outer suburb of Albu Saif and take the adjacent high ground.

There is little prospect of west Mosul falling quickly.

This has led the US-led coalition to not, openly at least, provide direct support for the Popular Mobilisation Forces and instead focused of supporting the Iraqi army and elite military units.

Iraqi troops are set to increase efforts to fight against the terrorists after regaining the eastern side of Mosul from ISIS last month.

Plumes of smoke were seen rising into the sky early Sunday morning as US-led coalition jets struck militant positions southwest of Mosul. The fight for the western half of the city is expected to include all of those elements, accelerating as the USA backed anti-ISIS forces close in on the extremists’ remaining stronghold in the city. The lack of bridges has made Iraq’s plan to liberate Mosul’s western region more challenging.

“Soon, and at a time of their choosing, the Iraqi Security Forces will move in to start the liberation of West Mosul”, Major General Rupert Jones, UK deputy commander said last week, predicting a tough fight.

Taking back the city’s west bank promises to be even tougher, as the narrow streets of the Old City will be impassable for many military vehicles and force government fighters to take on IS in risky dismounted warfare.

Many military vehicles will not be able to get through the narrow streets, forcing government troops to engage the enemy in close quarters.

Mosul is the capital city of the northern Iraqi province of Nineveh.