RNA - "About 100 tons of chemical substances that the ISIL used to make explosives in Mosul has been confiscated from the terrorist group," Hashd al-Shaabi security center announced.
The large amount of the chemicals have reportedly been discovered in Koukajli region in the Eastern part of Mosul city.
In relevant remarks on Saturday, Iraqi Volunteer Forces Spokesman Ahmad al-Assadi voiced Hashd al-Shaabi's readiness to start fresh military operations to seize back all regions to the West of the city of Mosul in Nineveh province.
"As the grounds have been prepared for regaining control of Tal Afar we (Hashd al-Shaabi) are waiting for Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi to determine which military units will take part in the operations in Western Mosul," Al-Assadi told FNA in Baghdad.
He reiterated that the first phase of the Iraqi volunteer forces' operations in regions to the West of Mosul ended after seizing back 113 square kilometers of territories and taking back tens of villages as well as cutting the terrorists' supply routes.
"The Hashd al-Shaabi with all its units and groups has taken all the measures for starting the second part of the sixth phase of military operations to liberate the territories to the West of Mosul which includes the strategic Tal Afar region," al-Assadi added.
He pointed to Hashd al-Shaabi's support for other military forces participating in the Mosul liberation operations, and said, "The Iraqi volunteer forces will continue their support for the Iraqi Federal Police and counterterrorism units in a bid to pave the way for seizing back the remaining regions in Western Mosul."
The first part of the sixth phase of Mosul liberation operation in Western and Eastern flanks of Tal Afar ended with winning back 12 villages, killing 207 ISIL terrorists and freeing 1,200 Iraqi citizens on February 26.
In a relevant development on Friday, the Iraqi military forces continued to advance in Nineveh province and seized back a strategic region in the Western part of Mosul city.
"Wadi Hajr district is now under the full control of the Iraqi forces," Commander of Mosul Military Operations Major General Abdel Amir Rashid Yarallah said.
The ISIL terrorists sustained heavy losses in the Iraqi forces' offensives.
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