ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Islamic State militants in their self-proclaimed capital Mosul have begun digging trenches and erecting other fortifications for the defense of the city, Iraq’s defense minister has said. ''Daesh [the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State] has fortified the northern city of Mosul and started placing fortifications, some called 'Caliphate fences,’ around the city for a fierce defense,” said Iraq's Minister of Defense Khalid al-Obeidi. Iraqi troops along with Shiite militias have been battling to retake the strategic city of Tikrit, the capital of Salahuddin province about 130 km north of Baghdad. Capturing Tikrit would assist Iraqi joint forces in opening a major supply route for any future operation to retake Mosul. Military experts anticipate a tough battle for Iraq’s second-largest city. “In fact, the information I have is that most of the terrorist commanders that fled from Tikrit, Diyala and Beiji have headed towards Mosul. At the same time, the ISIS militants' morale is not very high,'' Obeidi said.
