They don’t withdraw easily, unless they’re killed or wounded.” “The problem is that now it’s a suicidal enemy. Mounir Abdul Aziz, a commander with the Iraqi army’s 15th division, in a recent interview in west Mosul’s Zanjili neighborhood. “The closer we’ve gotten to the Old City the more defenses we’re seeing,” said Col. Many officials estimate it will take more than a month to clear the area. Several military officials and analysts expect the militants to make a last stand in the remaining one square mile of what had once been the crown jewel of their caliphate. ![]() Their only options would be to surrender or die. 17, the fight has apparently transformed into a so-called cauldron battle, where the militants have no chance of escape. Troops this week began the long-anticipated assault on the Old City quarter, the last district still in the extremist group’s hands.Īnd Wednesday, officials said militants destroyed the iconic Nuri mosque, the site where Islamic State leader Abu Bakr Baghdadi declared the group’s caliphate three years ago.Īs the pressure has increased around Mosul since the government offensive to retake it began Oct. ![]() During the last eight months, Iraqi forces have fought to corner Islamic State militants into an ever-dwindling area of the city of Mosul.
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