“The Kataeb al-Awliyaa of Mosul, using medium weapons has attacked Rifaq neighborhood on Saturday and they killed Abu Dawd Misri, who was an ISIS security official east of Mosul,” a source told Rudaw.
“Misri had arrested many youth in Mosul over recent days,” the source added.
According to the source, the Kataeb al-Awliyaa attacked two ISIS checkpoints – the Shalalat checkpoint in the Qahira area inside Mosul where they killed three militants, and the Bashik checkpoint in the Tahrir area east of Mosul.
A second source inside the city, however, said ISIS has created fake uprisings in order to expose residents who oppose the group.
Reuters reported this week that ISIS had foiled a planned revolt in the city and executed 58 alleged plotters.
ISIS is intensifying its presence and surveillance on the streets in order to show their strength and deter other revolt attempts. They have closed main bridges and roads in order to exert control over the population and limit movement around the city of both plotters and those wanting to flee in advance of the military offensive.
ISIS has deployed its militants on the streets and told residents they are not planning to withdraw but strengthen their positions through tunneling, putting up concrete barriers, constructing fortifications out of mounds of earth, and planting improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
A citizen from Mosul, speaking to Rudaw on condition of anonymity, said that “ISIS two days ago started booby-trapping the streets in the left side of Mosul. And 3,500 of its militants are doing intensive surveillance inside Mosul.”
Information Rudaw obtained from one source indicates that ISIS has reinforced its forces in the city, bringing in 2,250 fighters from Diyala, Anbar and Tikrit. They have also stationed foreign fighters in locations bordering the city: Hamdaniya, Tel Kaif, Bartella, and Tel Afar.
Leaders are evacuating their families. The Mosul Eye, a blogger in the city, told Rudaw that more than 32 leaders left with their families but said they would return themselves.
He added that the militants appear to have given up on defending the city. “They don’t seem to be so afraid,” he said. “It seems that they don’t expect a battle in Mosul.”
He believes that they will abandon Mosul for Raqqa but will seek to destroy the city and kill as many as they can. “The only way to protect the people is to get the forces inside Mosul as soon as possible. They can take over the city. ISIL is ready to lose the battle.”
Iraqi military commanders are asking the people of Mosul to stay at home and do not leave when the operation is launched. People are concerned about the availability of food and basic needs, fearing that prices of goods in the markets may double during the military offensive.
According to information coming from Mosul, ISIS appointed new official, Muhseen Abdulkarim Oghlu, as assistant to the Wali of Mosul, the so-called caliphate’s governor.
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