RNA - The Mosul liberation operation entered its fourth week on Monday as the Iraqi Army forces and their allies push the terrorists back in more regions on the outskirts of the crucial city, especially in Western flanks of Mosul, to block ISIL's escape paths to Syria's Raqqa.
Commander: Iraqi Forces Liberate Over 60 Percent of Nineveh Province
Iraq's counterterrorism department announced that ISIL's use of civilians as human shields has slowed down advances in the Mosul operation, but meantime said over half of the Nineveh province has been liberated by the Iraqi army and volunteer forces (Hashd al-Shaabi).
"About 60 percent of the Mosul region has been seized back," Spokesman of the Iraqi Counterterrorism Department Sabah al-Nauman said on Monday.
Iraqi Army Hunting ISIL Terrorists' Suicide Vehicles with Kornet Missiles
The Iraqi army is using Russian-made Kornet anti-tank missiles to get rid of the ISIL's bomb-laden vehicles in Mosul liberation operation.
"Many weapons have the capability of destroying the (ISIL's) bomb-laden vehicles, but it is only the Kornet anti-tank missile which can penetrate deep into very thick metal sheets," an Iraqi military commander said.
Iraqi Forces Kill ISIL Commander near Mosul
Iraq’s government forces killed one of the leaders of the ISIL terrorist group South of Mosul, media reported on Monday.
The Algeria-born field commander Abu Khamza was killed in Hamam al-Alil area, which was taken under control of the government forces on Sunday, TASS reported.
Kurdish Peshmerga Forces Recapture Bashiqa
The Iraqi Kurdish Pishmerga forces who laid siege on Baishqa several weeks ago and attacked the city within the framework of the Mosul liberation operation managed to take control of Baishqa on Monday.
Pishmerga forces attacked Baishqa from the Northeastern side of the city and repelled several terrorist attacks, the Arabic-language al-Mayadeen website reported.
Commander: Over 2,000 ISIL Militants Killed during Mosul Campaign
A top Iraqi military commander said that more than 2,000 ISIL militants have been killed since the start of the offensive to liberate the ISIL stronghold city of Mosul in Northern Iraq.
Mosul Operations commander Maj. Gen. Najm Al-Jabouri told the local Al-Sumaria News that the initial statistics for the undergoing military operation in Mosul show that more than 2,000 ISIL militants, including some of their high-level leadership, have been killed so far.
Iraqi Forces Rescue over 6,400 Civilians in Mosul
Nineveh Liberation Operation Commander Major General Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah announced that over 6,400 citizens of Mosul have been rescued by Iraq's joint military forces so far.
"Al-Juda'a military camp in al-Qayyara region has hosted 6403 Iraqi civilians," General Yarallah said.
ISIL Sets Oil Wells Ablaze as Iraqi Army Advances in Mosul Campaign
ISIL militants in Mosul set oil wells ablaze to slow the advance of Iraqi forces as the militants retreat while they were pushed Northwards by the Iraqi forces.
The UK charity group, Oxfam said thousands of families are forced to live in what it called a "smoke-filled hell" with scant access to clean water in villages and towns around Mosul, Arab Herald reported.
Hashd Al-Shaabi Takes Control of All Roads Leading to Mosul
A senior commander of the Iraqi volunteer forces (Hashd al-Shaabi) announced that his forces have taken full control of all roads to the city of Mosul in Nineveh province.
"The Hashd al-Shaabi forces are now in full control of all roads leading to Mosul … and they have managed to seize back 65 villages," Abu Mohandes said.
Official: ISIL Deployed Drones with Chemical Gas in Mosul
The ISIL militants deployed drones strapped with explosives, long-range artillery shells “filled with chlorine and mustard gas and highly effective snipers”, a top Iraqi Kurdish security official said.
The Chief of Security in Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government, Masrour Barzani, said that ISIL has deployed several of these drones since the Peshmerga forces and Iraqi Army troops launched a battle to retake Mosul on 17 October, ARA News reported.
According to Barzani, the next phase of the Mosul operation may be harder as ISIL is expected to show fiercer resistance to protect its main positions inside the city.
Iraqi Forces Advance towards Mosul International Airport
Iraqi security forces drove ISIL fighters from several towns and villages South of the militants' main stronghold of Mosul and reached within a few km of the Mosul International airport on the Southern edge of the city, a senior commander said.
The commander of Iraqi federal police Lieutenant-General Raed Shakir Jawdat said security forces were in control of Hammam al-Alil, South of Mosul, adding that another Iraqi police unit advanced further North up the Western bank of the Tigris river, Vestnik Kavkaza reported.
Hashd Al-Sha'abi Commander: Saudi Arabia "Mother of All Terrorism"
A senior commander of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis said Saudi Arabia is the “mother of all terrorism”.
Muhandis made the remarks in an interview with the al-Alam television network during which he stressed that both the ISIL and al-Qaeda terrorist groups are the product of Saudi Arabia, and that ISIL's psychological and media campaign is partially funded from Riyadh, presstv reported.
Muhandis noted that the operations to free Mosul from the ISIL terrorists will take some time as the militants are receiving intelligence from several external sources, mainly the US.
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