29 ISIL Terrorists Killed in Iraqi Air Strikes in Western Mosul
According to Iraqi Defense Ministry’s War Media Cell, the country’s warplanes pounded the terrorists’ positions in al-Be’aj and al-Qirwan regions in Western Mosul, killing 29 militants and destroying 6 of their vehicles, including a bomb-laden car.
An ISIL oil tanker and 2 motorcycles as well as the terrorists’ weapons cache were also blown up in the attack.
Iraqi government forces invaded ISIL’s last bastion in Western Mosul’s Old City Saturday through three districts as operation near the elimination of the terror group from its main urban stronghold in Iraq, reports said.
Iraqi Defense Ministry’s War Media Cell, quoting the Joint Operations Command, said joint forces invaded “the remaining non-liberated districts in Western Mosul, invading al-Shefa, al-Jamhouri Hospital, Zanjili and al-Sihha al-Oula.
Federal Police chief, Lt. Gen. Shaker Jawdat, said his forces passed the third of Mosul’s five main bridges linking the Western side with the East above the Tigris River towards the Old City.
Jawdat said he was confident his forces were able to win the battle as ISIL starts to lose control over areas near the Hadbaa (leaning) Minaret, referring to the mosque where ISIL supreme leader declared in 2014 the establishment of the group’s self-proclaimed “caliphate” in Iraq.
A few hours earlier, Iraqi warplanes dropped leaflets on the area urging civilians to exit, signaling the approach of the final encounter.
