RNA - Here, they “report” that the fast advances and staggered pockets of resistance by ISIL are stretching the special units of Iraq's anti-terrorism forces thin. They say the special units’ limited numbers have forced them to rely on the national police to hold territory that they have captured. They also say while there are a lot more troops attacking Mosul than in most previous cases, the number of actually well-trained, highly disciplined troops is relatively small.
All this and more might be true. But the truth is this: Iraqi Army is now inside Mosul for the first time in over two years, cutting the last routes to Syria, and that's what really counts. After all, this is a national effort and hence certain to end in a decisive defeat for ISIL. The previous battles to liberate Tikrit, Ramadi and Fallujah resulted victory; there is no reason to think the fight for Mosul will be otherwise. It will seal the fate of the self-declared caliphate in Iraq and pave the way for its ultimate defeat in Syria.
In fact, the battle for Mosul is so important that ISIL’s media arm has released audio purportedly featuring its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in which he says he's "confident of victory" in Mosul, the group's Iraqi stronghold. The voice, which Fars News cannot independently verify, also desperately calls on ISIL fighters to stand firm.
It is yet another sign that the days of the universally hated terrorist group as a territorial entity are indeed numbered in the northern city. Even eyewitnesses inside Mosul agree. They say ISIL has never been popular in the city. They detest its extreme violence and religious bigotry. They also say there are few fighters to be seen in the streets, and they are mostly just teenagers with guns. More so, it has been reported that ISIL commanders were divided on whether or not it was better for them to make a last stand in Mosul or withdraw, and revert to guerrilla warfare.
So contrary to Western media outlets, the Mosul offensive is making steady progress. ISIL fighters still in and around the city - numbering as many as 7,000 men - have responded in predictable and ineffective ways. They have tried to launch suicide bombers in vehicles against the attackers, but that tactic hasn’t worked so well against a national force equipped with faith, unity and resolve.
This has left the goons with three options: die, surrender or run. They are now retreating into Mosul itself, with the attacking forces hard on their heels. ISIL fighters aren’t going alone. According to the United Nations and eyewitnesses, they are seizing thousands of hostages from among civilians living in villages, herding them into the city to use as human shields. If this is not desperation, we don't know what is.
This cruel tactic will inflict more unnecessary suffering on the civilians, and at most will slightly delay ISIL’s final defeat. More hard fighting still lies ahead, but the end is coming into sight for the medieval caliphate’s domination of Mosul.
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