Iraqi troops liberate eastern Mosul district from Daesh grip

Iraqi forces have recaptured an eastern neighborhood in Mosul and raised the national flag on buildings as the army and allied fighters are tightening the noose around the Daesh-held city.

The commander of Nineveh Liberation Operation, Lieutenant General Abdul Amir Yarallah, announced the liberation of the al-Tahrir district on Thursday, the al-Sumaria news website reported.

Yarallah said that counterterrorism units had called on locals to stay indoors while the Iraqi troops are conducting mop-up operations in the liberated area.

In another development late on Wednesday, Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), also known as Hashd al-Shaabi forces, wrested control of the Tal Afar airport in western Mosul.

The Iraqi soldiers are reported to be looking for booby traps inside the airport and advancing on the town of Tal Afar on Thursday. Iraqi forces are now moving up from the south, having the Mosul airport in their sights.

“Daesh has planted bombs in large parts of Tal Afar airport and operations are under way to clear it completely,” the PMU said in a statement.

Retaking Tal Afar, situated some 50 kilometers from Mosul, would bring Iraqis closer to surrounding Daesh in its last bastion in the Middle Eastern country.

“By capturing the Tel Afar airbase, the Iraqi forces have cut off a main Daesh supply route between Syria and Mosul,” Iraqi army officer, Hamid Saadi, said.

Secretary General of Iraq’s Badr Organization Hadi al-Ameri also noted that Tal Afar will be “the starting point for the liberation of all of the areas [along] the Syrian border.

The Iraqi army, volunteer Shia and Sunni fighters as well as Kurdish Peshmerga forces have been engaged in the Mosul liberation operation since October 17.

ME