Saturday, March 11, 2017

Mosul Campaign Day 145, Mar 10, 2017


There was more movement into the middle of west Mosul, and in the Badush district. The Golden Division seized the Amil 1, Amil 2 and the Aghawat neighborhoods. The Federal Police and Rapid Reaction Division moving up the Tigris River freed Nabi Sheet, Okaidat, Bab Jadid, and attacked Bab al-Tob again. To the west of the city the Iraqi forces (ISF) took two more towns in the Badush area. The advance along multiple fronts is stretching the Islamic State’s defenses. General Maan al-Saadi from the Golden Division claimed that they had been broken, but that’s yet to be seen.

There are more reports that civilians are taking the brunt of the fighting. The latest came from the Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights who claimed that at least 700 have been killed in the fighting for west Mosul. The dense layout of west Mosul and the Islamic State forcing civilians to stay in their firing positions to be used as human shields have both contributed to the high casualty rate.

The United Nations is worried that its camps for the displaced (IDPs) will quickly be overwhelmed. According to the Displacement Ministry 76,787 people had fled west Mosul so far, and over 6,000 were leaving each day. The U.N. quoted the Iraqi forces that 40,000 could be displaced in the next two days’ fighting. The camps to the south of Mosul are completely full and the ones in Kurdistan are almost at capacity. The U.N. is building two more, but they will not be ready if that many people flow out of the city in the next 48 hours. This is the reason why Baghdad told the people of Mosul to stay in their homes. Neither the government nor aid agencies have the money or capacity to accommodate so many people.

The latest casualty figures from the Mosul campaign based upon daily review of over 40 media outlets mostly Iraqi showed that 7,648 had died and 22,690 were wounded in Ninewa so far. The vast majority, 6,340 of those killed and 17,124 of the injured were civilians. The Islamic State has been accused of executing 3,279 and Coalition air strikes were blamed for 734 dead and 717 wounded.

Mosul Campaign Casualties 10/17/16-3/7/17
Killed 7,648
Wounded 22,690

SOURCES

Agence France Presse, “Iraq forces advance in Mosul as IS resistance ‘weakens,’” 3/10/17

Baghdad Post, "Counter terror forces storm Al-Aghawat district in Mosul right bank," 3/10/17
- "Security forces liberate Bab Jadid district in central Mosul," 3/10/17

Davison, John, “Islamic State mortars, snipers take toll on Iraqi forces in Mosul,” Reuters, 3/10/17

Holdaway, Owen, “City Of Blood Inside the battle for Mosul where Iraqi troop face ISIS suicide bombers and snipers in bloody battle to liberate terror stronghold,” The Sun, 3/10/17

Mostafa, Mohamed, "Iraqi forces recapture more villages at western Mosul town," Iraqi News, 3/10/17
- "Police: 25 IS militants killed in central Mosul offensive," Iraqi News, 3/10/17
- “Refugees from western Mosul exceed 76.000 since operations start: minister,” Iraqi News, 3/10/17

Salim, Mustafa and Morris, Loveday, “In Mosul, Iraqi forces struggle to hang on to government compound days after retaking it,” Washington Post, 3/10/17

UN High Commissioner for Refugees, “Iraq Situation: UNHCR Flash Update – 9 March 2017,” 3/9/17

World Bulletin, "Iraqi forces take two more districts of western Mosul," 3/10/17


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