Battle for Mosul: Iraqi Forces Move to Retake another Neighborhood
Local Editor
Iraqi troops moved Tuesday to retake another neighborhood in the eastern sector of the northern city of Mosul but were facing stiff confrontation from Daesh [ISIS/ISIL] militants, according to a top Iraqi commander.
Brig. Gen. Haider Fadel of the Special Forces told The Associated Press that Daesh terrorists were targeting Iraqi forces with rockets and mortars as they slowly advanced in the densely populated Zohour neighborhood.
"We are cautiously advancing. There are too many civilians still living there," he said.
Meanwhile, Iraqi troops began their siege of Zohour on Sunday as they fortified their positions in neighborhoods they had already retaken in eastern Mosul.
Suicide bombings, sniper fire and concerns over the safety of civilians - there are 1 million civilians still in Mosul - have combined to slow down progress in the campaign to liberate the city, which began Oct. 17.
Mosul was captured by the terrorist group in the summer of 2014. It is Iraq's second-largest city and the last major Daesh urban bastion in the country.
Most gains in the campaign so far have been made by the Special Forces operating east of the Tigris River. Other forces, including the Kurdish Peshmerga troops and volunteer Sunni fighters, are advancing on the city from different directions, and the US-led coalition is providing airstrikes and other support.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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