Police control IS “legislative court of the soldiers state” in western Mosul
Federal police members aim their weapons at a man, whom they thought was a member of Islamic State but later turned out to be mentally handicapped, during a battle with Islamic State fighters at Bab al Beed district in the old city of Mosul
REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal
“Troops gained control on the so-called legislative court of the soldiers state in 17 Tamuz (July 17th) district in western Mosul,” Lt.Gen. Shaker Jawdat, Federal Police Chief, said in a statement on Wednesday. “Important documents as well as torturing and detention cells were found with no detainees.”
Other troops, according to Jawdat, “battled against IS militants in south of the Old City while invading toward the Grand Nuri al-Kabeer mosque.”
“Six members were killed, while a vehicle and three motorbikes were destroyed,” he added.
Iraqi forces have been sweeping through northwestern neighborhoods over the past few weeks in a way to invade the strategic Old City, after finding it hard to invade from the south.
The Old City is home of the ancient Grand Nuri Mosque, from which the group’s Supreme Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi gave a famous sermon in 2014 declaring the establishment of the ‘caliphate’
The eastern side of Mosul was retaken in January after three months of battles. Another major offensive was launched in February to recapture the western side of the city.
Iraqi Joint Operations Command announced recently being in control of at least 89.5 percent of territory in western Mosul