Battle for Mosul Day 31:

Iraq's PMF Hands over 16 Mosul Villages to Army

Rasa - Iraq's wide-scale operation to liberate the Northern city of Mosul continued on Thursday as reports said Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces, al-Hashd al-Sha'abi, began to hand over to the Iraqi army 16 villages in the vicinity of Mosul that they have recently taken from ISIL militants.

News ID: 425124

Date: 17 November 2016 - 21:44

RNA - Iraq's wide-scale operation to liberate the Northern city of Mosul continued on Thursday as reports said Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces, al-Hashd al-Sha'abi, began to hand over to the Iraqi army 16 villages in the vicinity of Mosul that they have recently taken from ISIL militants.

Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces, al-Hashd al-Sha'abi, started Thursday to hand over to the Iraqi army 16 villages in Mosul they have recaptured from ISIL militants, according to a local official.

Al-Hashd al-Sha'abi forces have begun to hand over 16 liberated villages in Tal Afar, West of Mosul, to the army’s 15th division,” said Hossam Eddin al-Abbar, a member of Nineveh province’s council, Iraqi News reported.

He said that the army will take hold of those territories as the popular forces proceed to free more villages.

Over 300 Former Iraqi Policemen Buried in ISIL Mass Grave near Mosul

ISIL militants killed more than 300 Iraqi former police three weeks ago and buried them in a mass grave near the town of Hammam al-Alil South of Mosul, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday.

Local residents near the site of the mass grave told reporters the ultra-hardline militants buried victims who had been shot or beheaded, Business Insider reported.

The residents said they believed up to 200 people were killed in the weeks before ISIL withdrew from the town.

Human Rights Watch said some of the former policemen were separated from a group of about 2,000 people from nearby villages and towns who were forced to march alongside the militants last month as they retreated North to Mosul and the town of Tal Afar.

Iraq's PMF Liberates Tal Afar Airport

The Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) managed to liberate Tal Afar airport after controlling key areas near the airport just South of Tal Afar city.

PMF sources stressed that a large number of ISIL terrorists escaped the airport which was besieged by the Iraqi and headed towards the city of Tal Afar, Al Manar reported.

Media reports also noted that the Iraqi forces have advanced in Western Mosul, killing scores of ISIL terrorists.

The sources added that liberating the airport paves the way for Iraqi forces to regain the city of Tal Afar.

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