Battle for Mosul Day 135:

ISIL Commanders Fleeing Mosul

Rasa - The comprehensive military campaign by Iraqi military forces to liberate the Northern city of Mosul from ISIL militants continued on Wednesday with Iraqi sources making more advances inside and around the city, and the Iraqi Police Commander General Shaker Jawdat saying the ISIL has started its final collapse in Mosul as the terrorist group's commanders are escaping the city in numbers.

News ID: 427782

Date: 01 March 2017 - 20:12

RNA - The comprehensive military campaign by Iraqi military forces to liberate the Northern city of Mosul from ISIL militants continued on Wednesday with Iraqi sources making more advances inside and around the city, and the Iraqi Police Commander General Shaker Jawdat saying the ISIL has started its final collapse in Mosul as the terrorist group's commanders are escaping the city in numbers.

Police Chief: ISIL Commanders Fleeing Mosul

Iraqi Police Commander General Shaker Jawdat said ISIL has started its final collapse in Mosul as the terrorist group's commanders are escaping the city in numbers.

"The ISIL terrorists are presently facing confusion due to their defeats in tough battles with the Iraqi government forces," the Arabic-language media quoted Judat as saying on Wednesday.

He reiterated that Iraq's intelligence data indicate that the ISIL is on the verge of full collapse as the terrorist commanders are escaping from the city.

Iraq's PMF Repulses ISIL Attack Southeast of Tikrit

A local source in the Iraqi province of Salahuddin informed that Popular Mobilization Forces managed to repulse an attack launched by ISIL militants Southeast of Tikrit, local sources said.

The source said that the popular forces, locally known as Hashd al-Shaabi, repelled an attack launched by the ISIL terror group on Albu Khado village, Southeast of Tikrit District, Al Sumeriya reported.

“The security forces also destroyed two vehicles belonging to the terrorist group, killing two militants, as well as arresting another ISIL member,” the source added on condition of anonymity.

ISIL Terrorists Trying to Blend with Civilians Leaving Mosul

Iraqi security forces said they expect that terrorists of ISIL to try to hide and mix with local residents sliping out of the Northern city of Mosul, as the Iraqi forces are advancing further to eventually liberate the city from ISIL.

An Iraqi intelligence officer said on condition of anonymity that he suspect that the ISIL members, especially non-combatants and those who did not hold any public positions, are desperately trying to avoid ending up in hands of Iraqi security forces, RT reported.

The officer told Reuters that Iraqi Security forces, however, rely on databases of known ISIL members, local informants, and their own professional flair to identify ISIL militants among the groups Iraqi civilians leaving Mosul.

Iraqi Forces Close in on ISIL-Held Mosul Government Buildings

Iraqi forces battled their way to within firing range of Mosul’s main government buildings, a major target in the offensive to dislodge ISIL militants from their remaining stronghold in the Western side of the city.

Terrified civilians were fleeing the fighting, some toward government lines, often under militant fire. Others were forced to head deeper into ISIL-held parts of the city, straining scarce food and water supplies there, Iraqi News reported.

Iraqi forces captured the Eastern side of Mosul in January after 100 days of fighting and launched their attack on the districts that lie West of the Tigris river on Feb. 19.

If they defeat ISIL in Mosul, that would end in terror group without a major urban bastion in Iraq.

Iraqi Army Effectively Cuts Last Main Exit Road Out of Mosul

Iraqi army units shut the last main exit out of the ISIL terror group’s stronghold in Western Mosul, controlling access to the city from the Northwest, a general and residents there said on Wednesday.

The army’s 9th armored division is within a kilometer of Mosul’s “Syria Gate”, the Northwestern entrance of the city, a general from the unit told reporters by telephone, Iraqi News reported.

“We effectively control the road, it is within our sight,” he said. Mosul residents said they had not been able to travel on the highway that begins at the “Syria Gate” since Tuesday.

The road links Mosul to Tal Afar, another ISIL stronghold 60 km (40 miles) to the West, and then to the Syrian border.

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