Iraqi military intelligence destroy Islamic State tunnel in Mosul
Iraqi soldier inside a tunnel belonging to the Islamic State.
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) – A secret tunnel used by the Islamic State militant group was destroyed Tuesday in Mosul city, the Iraqi Military Intelligence Directorate said.
In a press release carried by the privately-owned Alghad Press website, the directorate said that “the tunnel was used by Islamic State militants for hiding out and escaping from security forces after the liberation of Mosul from terrorism.”
The seizure of the tunnel came during a military operation launched by intelligence forces in al Qayyarah district in Mosul.
The troops managed to destroy the tunnel completely, added the statement.
Former Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi announced in July 2017 liberation of the second largest Iraqi city of Mosul from IS militants, who had captured it in 2014. More than 25,000 militants were killed throughout the campaign, which started in October 2016.
The campaign was backed by paramilitary troops and a U.S.-led international coalition.
Iraq declared the collapse of Islamic State’s territorial influence in Iraq in November 2017 with the recapture of Rawa, a city on Anbar’s western borders with Syria, which was the group’s last bastion in Iraq.