Al-Hashd al-Shaabi admit Mosul battle could last longer

Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) Al-Hashd al-Shaabi militia has admitted that the battle to retake the city of Mosul from Islamic State, which has entered its second month, could actually take longer despite Iraqi officials optimism with a close victory.

“Those who believe that battle Mosul is going to end quickly are deluded,” Hadi al-Ameri, a senior al-Hashd commander and secretary-general of Badr Organization, was seen stating during a televised interview on the battlefield in Mosul on Monday. “The battle will last longer than expected, but will eventually see the city liberated from IS,” he added.

Iraqi officials and military generals have voiced optimism that Iraq’s second largest city would be recaptured soon, saying that the forces had so far retaken 40 out of at least 60 districts in the city’s eastern section, the eastern shore of the Tigris River. Al-Hashd al-Shaabi, meanwhile, has been taking up the fight for the city’s west, where IS maintain holdouts near their strongholds in Syria.

Commanders of military operations said recently that the forces had ended a first phase of their campaign and were preparing for a second phase that would see changed tactics and offensives on all directions to retake central Mosul from IS militants.

However, operations have slowed down over the past few days due to bad weather conditions and ferocious resistance from IS combatants who rely on explosive traps and suicide bombings.