Iraqi troops push into new Mosul neighborhoods under cover of air strikes
MOSUL, Iraq--Clashes between advancing Iraqi forces and ISIS militants in Mosul’s Intisar and Aden neighborhoods continued on Sunday as the troops carried out a house-to-house search for remaining militants and explosives in liberated quarters.
Iraqi Counterterrorism Forces (ICTF) had reached the edges of al-Qahira and al-Zuhur neighborhoods, northeastern Mosul by Sunday morning, Lt. Gen. Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi, a commander of the forces told Rudaw.
The quarters of al-Tahrir, al-Moualimeen, and Oulama were liberated Saturday after days of intense clashes.
Al-Saadi downplayed ISIS strength and described the confrontations as “light clashes”.
He added that “coalition aircraft also carried out airstrikes and killed 15 ISIS militants,”
Many civilians in liberated neighborhoods have remained in their homes instead of heading to some refugees camps built for them by aid agencies ahead of the Mosul operation.
Rudaw reporters in Mosul have noticed long queues of men, women and children lining up before Iraqi soldiers and UN agencies to receive food.
The UN has reported that around 59,000 people have fled Mosul since the start of the offensive on October 17.