Iraqi forces advance further into Old City of Mosul

Iraqi forces have pushed deeper in Mosul’s terrorist-held district of Old City as they are battling to purge Daesh Takfiri terrorists out of their last bastion in the country’s second largest city, warning civilians to stay inside and telling extremists to “surrender or die.”

Staff Major General Maan al-Saadi, a top commander in the elite Counter Terrorism Service, said Iraqi forces advanced into the Old City at 6:00 a.m. local time (0300 GMT) on Monday, and took control of new areas in the Faruq neighborhood.

He added that Daesh Takfiri terrorists are putting up fierce resistance in the wake of the Iraqi army’s territorial gains.

“Daesh resistance has been fierce. They have blocked every entrance, planted IEDs (improvised explosive devices) and booby-trapped houses our forces might be near. Penetrating was very difficult. Today the fighting is face to face,” Saadi pointed out.

Taking back the Old City of Mosul, a densely populated warren of narrow alleyways on the western side of Mosul, is crucial to recapturing the whole of the former Daesh stronghold in Iraq.

The United Nations says around 150,000 civilians are trapped in the neighborhood along with hundreds of Daesh terrorists.

Meanwhile, Iraqi forces have stationed their four-wheel drive Humvee military light trucks near Grand al-Nuri Mosque, where purported Daesh ringleader Ibrahim al-Samarrai aka Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi gave his famous speech on the formation of the terror group back in June 2014, and mounted speakers facing Mosul’s Old City.

The loudspeakers blared “You have only this choice: surrender or die” to Daesh terrorists. They also addressed civilians in the Old City, saying Iraqi forces “are about to end your suffering.”

The development came after Iraqi forces dropped nearly 500,000 leaflets over Mosul late last night, stating that government forces “have started attacking from all directions.”

The leaflets asked civilians to “stay away from open places and... take any opportunity that arises during the fighting” to escape.

International aid group Save the Children says some 50,000 children are trapped in the Old City of Mosul.

“They are running out of food and water, and face violence wherever they turn,” Ana Locsin, Iraq Country Director at the charity, said.

SS