VIDEO: heavy clashes in Mosul's eastern district of Bakir between the advancing Iraqi forces and ISIS militants on Tuesday.
MOSUL, Iraq – Iraqi forces, supported by local Sunni militia, have opened a new front against ISIS in the Hawija Plains, north of the group’s stronghold of Hawija, 58 km southwest of Kirkuk.
Iraqi forces have so far liberated two villages north of Hawija, Shayyal al Abali and Shayyal al Imam, reported Rudaw’s Nabard Hussein who is embedded with the advancing troops.
The operation was launched on Tuesday jointly by the Nineveh Operations, which is tasked with the Mosul offensive, and the Salahadin Operations, currently active in Salahadin province. They are also supported by local Sunni militia.
The objective is to open a new front for an eventual assault on Hawija, where ISIS is already under pressure on several sides from Kurdish Peshmerga and Iraqi forces, including the Hashd al-Shaabi.
VIDEO: Iraqi army forces advance north of Hawija on Tuesday.
In Mosul, on day 44 of the offensive, Iraqi Counter Terrorism Services (ICT) are engaged in street fighting with ISIS militants who continue to put up fierce resistance against the advancing forces, hiding and dodging in the urban setting, blowing up roadside bombs, and forcing Iraqi forces to take cover under sniper fire, Rudaw’s Ranja Jamal reported from Bakir district in eastern Mosul.
The Iraqi army announced the liberation of Bakir and 21 other districts on Monday, but Tuesday’s clashes are evidence of the resilience of the extremist group in the face of the largest military assault in Iraq since 2003.
Follow the war on Rudaw’s Live Map
Map legend:
Dark green - under Peshmerga control
Light green - encircled/battling by Peshmerga
Red - under Iraqi control
Pink - encircled/battling by Iraqi forces
Yellow - under Hashd al-Shaabi control
Orange - encircled/battling by Hashd al-Shaabi
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