ISIS launches missile attacks in Mousl injuring dozens

ISIS extremist group launched a number of missile attacks on areas in the Iraqi city of Mousl on Saturday, leading to the killing of a large number of civilians. Spokesman for joint operations Yahia Rasoul said that the extremist group has only the shells carrying toxic substances, saying that the Iraqi forces are existed currently in the surrounding area of Nuri Mosque.

Rasoul added, “The Iraqi troops resumed their advance after the liberation of Seha district which is considered one of the major districts of Mousl’s right bank.” He added that these forces are existed in the surrounding area of Nuri Mosque, saying that their advance is slow due to the increasing number of civilian residents.

In the same context, Commander of Tigris Operations, Lieutenant General Mazhar al-Ezzawi, on Saturday, announced destroying a hideout belonging to the Islamic State group, and dismantling four improvised explosive devices by a military operation, northeast of Baqubah.

Ezzawi said in a press statement that joint security forces, backed by al-Hashd al-Shaabi militia, conducted extensive military operations in the valleys of Thlab, Qazla and al-Hadidi, near Naft Khana (80 km northeast of Baqubah), destroying a hideout belonging to the Islamic State, as well as dismantling four improvised explosive devices, without causing any casualties.

The operation took place within the strategy of the Tigris Operations Command to eliminate the presence of the Islamic State cells, in addition to destroying the terrorist group hideouts in the area, he added. Noteworthy, Tigris Operations announced destroying dozens of the Islamic State hideouts in several areas of Diyala, in the last few months.

Federal Police have declared controlling 63 targets and killed 20 Islamic State militants since operations started in February to liberate the western side of Mosul.

“Since beginning of operations in western Mosul, troops were able to evacuate 3,865 families and 260,000 civilians from the hot spots. 3,630 families composed of 22,193 members were returned back to their houses at the liberated regions. 50,000 food baskets were offered to the displaced,” Lt. Gen. Shaker Jawdat, Federal Police chief, said in a statement on Saturday.

“More than 20 IS leaders were killed, while 63 targets were retaken. 274 square kilometers were freed. 350 booby-trapped vehicles were destroyed,” he added.

On the other hand, Twenty-one militants of Islamic State were killed as three rest houses of the group were destroyed, west of Anbar province, a military source said. “The U.S.-led coalition jets shelled three rest houses of IS in the town of Rawa, 230 KM west of Ramadi,” the source told AlSumaria News on Sunday.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said, “21 members of IS, including leaders, were killed, while the rest houses were destroyed as a result of the shelling.” Several military operations were launched over the past few days to comb desert regions in the province, killing dozens of militants.

Last week, additional U.S. forces reportedly arrived to a military base in Anbar to take part in the security campaign against IS militants. In March, reports indicated possible joint operations by the Iraqi and U.S. forces to clear IS-held towns of Annah, Rawa and Qaim near the borders with Syria .

Rawa is an IS stronghold that has been held by the militants along with Annah and Qaim since 2014, when the group proclaimed its self-styled ‘Islamic State’. Islamic State is believed to be holding thousands in some western regions in Anbar to use them as human shields against any future security offensive. Fighter jets from the Iraqi army and the international coalition have also regularly pounded IS locations in the province.

Iraqi researcher Hisham Al Hashimi said that ISIS extremist group is close to its end in the Old City of Mousl, praising the Iraqi security forces for the advance they achieved especially in Resala district. He described the liberation of Resala district as a notable achievement, as it paves the way for liberating other districts, including Al Eslah district which is considered one of the strategic districts in the Iraqi city.