Iraq forces have retaken 80% of east Mosul

Members of the Iraqi rapid response forces fire a missile toward Islamic State militants during a battle in Somer district of eastern Mosul, Iraq, January 11, 2017. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani

MOSUL // Iraqi forces have retaken at least 80 per cent of east Mosul from ISIL, the spokesman of the special forces spearheading the campaign said on Wednesday.

“I think you can say that we have retaken 80 to 85 per cent” of the eastern side of Mosul, said Sabah Al Noman, spokesman for the elite Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS).

Tens of thousands of troops launched a huge offensive to retake the northern city and areas surrounding it on October 17.

The initial phase of the offensive saw a variety of forces retake significant swathes of land in little time but the going has been tough inside the city itself.

After a lull in operations, the CTS and other forces stepped up their coordination and, with increased air and advisory support from a US-led coalition, launched a fresh push just before the New Year.

Over the past two weeks, Iraqi forces have overrun several districts and reached the Tigris River that runs through the heart of the city for the first time.

Combined with the destruction of all bridges over the river, their advance has made it difficult for ISIL fighters in east Mosul to resupply or escape to the west bank, which they still fully control.

The western side of Mosul, which is home to the old city and some of the militants’ traditional strongholds, was always tipped as likely to offer the most resistance.

On Wednesday CTS forces made new advances, pushing into the northeastern Sadeeq neighbourhood, officers on the ground said.

The forces were engaged in clashes in Sadeeq and were firing into the neighbouring area of Hadba, where their units had been fighting the day before.

Securing Hadba, Sadeeq and other nearby districts would allow the CTS to advance further towards the Tigris river.

Iraqi forces also clashed with the militants further south, the military said, seeking to build on gains along the river bank.

Late on Tuesday, a top Iraqi commander said “it’s possible” the operation to retake Mosul could be completed in three months or less.

But Lt Gen Talib Shaghati warned it would be difficult to give an accurate estimate of how long the operation will take because it is not a conventional fight.

“There are many variables,” he said, describing the combat as “guerrilla warfare”.

Iraqi leaders originally pledged the city would be retaken before 2017.

* Agence France-Presse, Reuters