RNA - The comprehensive military campaign by Iraqi military forces to liberate the Northern city of Mosul from ISIL militants continued on Tuesday, as local reports said Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) recaptured nine more villages, proceeding with a campaign to impose control over the Iraqi borders with Syria.
Iraqi Volunteer Forces Recapture 9 Villages Clearing Borders with Syria
Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) fighting the ISIL terrorists recaptured nine more villages, proceeding with a campaign to impose control over the Iraqi borders with Syria.
Badr Organization, a part of the Iraqi volunteer forces, said it had taken over nine villages Northwest of Baaj, with dozens of militants fleeing to Syrian border cities, Iraqi News reported.
“Forces are proceeding towards the liberation of what is left of Iraqi-Syrian borders towards al-Waleed border corssing,” the statement said, pointing to a crossing in Anbar province, South of Nineveh, which is also close to the borders with Jordan.
Iraqi Forces Push Inside Mosul's ISIL-Held Zanjili District
Iraqi federal police forces pushed further into Mosul's al-Zanjili's district, recapturing more than half of it as operations continued to dislodge ISIL militants from the city.
With the recapture of Mosul's Sihha district by Iraq's Counter Terrorism Service, the enclave remaining in the hands of ISIL, has shrunk to three districts alongside the western bank of the Tigris river, the densely populated Old City Centre, part of the al-Zanjili district and the Medical City district, NRT reported.
The advance is part of an operation which began a week ago to oust the militants from remaining pockets in Mosul and finish off the offensive to capture the city, now in its eighth month.
Iraqi Forces Kill 21 ISIL Members, Including Snipers, in Snap Attack in Mosul
Iraqi special forces killed 21 ISIL members in a snap operation at a Western Mosul district where troops struggle to invade on their way to the strategic Old City.
Cap. Abdul-Wadoud al-Anbari said the Interior Ministry’s Rapid Response teams and the army’s 9th division killed 21 militants, including five snipers, in al-Shefa district, one of the last three districts surrounding the IS-held Old City area, Shafaq News reported.
Since late April, Iraqi forces began a push towards the medieval Old City from the Northwest, retaking several surrounding districts. At present, only three neighborhoods of Zanjili, al-Sihha and al-Shefa, around the Old City remain under ISIL control.
Iraqi Official: Retaking of Al-Nuri Mosque Indicates Mosul to Be Liberated Soon
A spokesman for the Iraqi Joint Operations Command said that the battle to recapture Mosul is going on smoothly and the city is to be liberated in days.
The victory in the liberation of Mosul will be symbolized by the retaking of the Grand Mosque of Al-Nuri in western part of the city, said Brigadier General Yahya Rasool, the JOC spokesman, in an interview on the battle with the Daesh in the final stage to retake Mosul, NRT reported.
He stressed in the in the exclusive interview with China's CCTV that the militants have no way out but surrender.
"I think at present there are only two options for the militants, without any other alternative. They are either to give up and receive the trial of justice, or to be wiped out thoroughly," said Yahya Rasool.
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