Begins A New Phase In The Military Offensive Against ISIS In Mosul

The Iraqi military forces launched on Friday a new phase in its offensive to retake the city of Mosul, the last bastion of ISIS.



The strategy is a coordinated effort to force the jihadists out of several districts in the east of the city attack. The Iraqi command is reported substantial progress despite stiff opposition from terrorists.

Convoys of armored vehicles and tanks approached Mosul on several axes, supported by air strikes and heavy artillery fire.

The offensive faces strong resistance fighters self-styled Islamic State, who used mortars and sniper fire from heavy machine guns.

Arwa Damon, CNN, who accompanies one of the Iraqi units inside Mosul, reported that radio communications between the troops of Iraq realize jihadists firing mortars into civilian populated areas, complicating attack government forces.

During the day there have been periods of intense gunfire, in what appears to be a much tougher resistance than that recorded on Thursday when Iraqi units first entered in the eastern neighborhoods of Mosul.

Terrorists have set fire to piles of tires to obscure the visibility of the surveillance aircraft. Thick plumes of black smoke hanging over several districts of Mosul.

CNN teams deployed on the ground witnessed the firing of several anti-aircraft rounds in areas still occupied by ISIS.

Iraqi state television quoted counterterrorist troops saying that five districts of Mosul were released Friday. CNN could not independently corroborate the official statement.

Captain Zaytou tendora, special forces in Iraq, told CNN a coalition aircraft bombed ISIS four positions in the area.

He said the mortars fired by ISIS, Friday, had fallen into residential areas killing seven people and wounding 23 people.

On another front offensive, south of Mosul, he said Captain tendora witnesses said that the terrorists had ordered all civilians in the town of Hammam al Alil to leave towards Mosul.

The order was given via the loudspeakers of mosques.


It is believed that there are tens of thousands of people in Hammam al Alil, where the population has increased in recent months by forcibly displaced civilians from other nearby villages by coercion of jihadists.

Much of the city, south and west, is now surrounded by units of the Iraqi army and the federal police.

Iraq's army reported on progress on the northern front, where he said he now controls areas near Tal Kayf.

Civilians continue to leave neighborhoods on the outskirts of Mosul, despite the efforts of the authorities to keep them in their homes. When he left, many said that it had become impossible to stay because there was no food or water.

Arwa Damon and Hamdi Alkhshali reported from Mosul. Mohammed Tawfeeq and Tim Lister reported from Irbil.