Spokesman:

Hashd al-Shaabi Ready to Kick Off New Phase of Liberation Operation in Western Iraq

Rasa - 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.

News ID: 427869

Date: 04 March 2017 - 21:37

RNA - "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.

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 Afarf region," al-Assadi added in an interview with Fars News Agency in Baghdad on Saturday.

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.

Also on Thursday, Iraqi government forces frustrated an attack by ISIL militants in Mosul as they press ahead with their operation to drive the terrorists out of their last urban stronghold in the Arab state.

An unnamed senior officer told reporters that a number of militants had managed to get near elite Iraqi units in the Southwestern part of Mosul, located some 400 kilometers North of the capital Baghdad, posing as internally displaced people.

The militants were neutralized before they could carry out any act of terror.

The development came only hours after a local source, requesting anonymity, said two children had sustained injuries after mortar shells fired by ISIL terrorists slammed into Karaj district Northeast of Mosul.

The victims were taken to a local hospital to receive medical treatment.

Commander of Federal Police Forces Lieutenant General Raed Shaker Jawdat also announced in a statement that security forces had launched a series of surprise
attacks against ISIL fortifications West of Mosul.

He said federal police soldiers have evacuated dozens of displaced families from the area, and moved them to refugee camps in the town of Hammam al-Alil, situated about 30 kilometers South of Mosul.

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