2 Iraqi soldiers killed in Mosul attack

NINEWA / IraqiNews.com: Two Iraqi servicemen were killed in an armed attack on an army checkpoint in northern Mosul city, according to the Multi-National Force (MNF). “Last night, unidentified gunmen launched an armed attack on a checkpoint set by the Iraqi army in al-Sukkar neighborhood, northern Mosul, killing two Iraqi soldiers,” read an MNF statement received by IraqiNews.com. The statement did not provide further details. Mosul, the capital city of Ninewa, lies 405 km north of Baghdad. The original city of Mosul stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient biblical city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial areas on both banks, with five bridges linking the two sides. Despite having an amount of Kurdish population, it does not form part of the area controlled by the Kurdistan Regional Government Kurdistan RegionG). There are different communities in Mosul like Christians, Shiites and Kurds along with a Sunni majority. The fabric Muslin, long manufactured in Mosul, is named for this city. Another historically important product of the area is Mosul marble. The city is also a historic center for the Nestorian Christianity of the Assyrians, containing the tombs of several Old Testament prophets such as Jonah, Yunus in Arabic, and Nahum. SS (S) 1