Iraqi PM Abadi:

Battle for Mosul Reaches Last Stage

Rasa - Iraqi Prime Minster Haidar al-Abadi said that the military operation aimed at liberating West Mosul from ISIL is 'in its last stage'.

News ID: 428171

Date: 15 March 2017 - 21:46

RNA - Abadi reiterated his vow that the remaining terrorists who surrender will be given a fair trial, but those who continue to fight against Iraqi forces will 'definitely be killed', the Russophile reported.

The Iraqi PM, who was speaking during a press conference held in Baghdad, stressed that the number of people displaced by fighting in the city would not increase.

“We are so careful, even with the families of ISIL, we are taking care of them but not the fighters. We will not target the families but the terrorists of ISIL, we will fight them and if they are arrested they will face a fair trial and if they will fight they will be killed,” he said.

He added that number of the displaced persons is still lower than which was predicted.

According to the UN, at least 50,000 people have managed to flee the city over the last four weeks. The International Organization for Migration puts the figure at over 80,000.

ISIL has threatened to kill people caught trying to get escape the city.

Iraqi army soldiers and allied fighters launched the offensive to retake Mosul, ISIL's last major city stronghold in the country, last October.

Iraqi forces took control of eastern Mosul in January and launched the battle in the west on February 19.

Meanwhile, Abadi and Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim have discussed security, economy, bilateral relations, and regional issues during a phone conversation.

According to Yildirim’s office, Abadi said that his country would not permit any threat to reach Turkey from Iraqi territory.

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