Seven militants killed in western Mosul airstrike, bridge installed for civilians evacuation

Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Seven Islamic State militants were killed Monday when a drone from the U.S.-led coalition targeted their location in western Mosul.

Air force lieutenant Yazan Abdul-Kafi told Rudaw network that the drone pounded a house in Zanjili district which militants occupied. The strike killed all seven and destroyed their truck.

Zanjili is one of the few remaining districts Iraqi forces are sweeping through on their way to the Old City, Islamic State’s last bastion in Mosul.

Meanwhile, Iraqi forces continued preparations to install a floating bridge linking western Mosul with the eastern side. Lt. Abdul-Salam al-Jubouri, from the Iraqi army, told Rudawy the bridge could hopefully facilitate troops movement and the transfer of refugees evacuated from the west to the east.

The five bridges linking Mosul’s flanks above the Tigris River had been destroyed in airstrikes late last year to prevent IS militants from escaping to the west as Iraqi forces retook the eastern region.

The Iraqi Joint Operations Command said recently it controls at least 89.5 percent of territory in western Mosul. Operations to retake that section of the city launched mid February. Eastern Mosul was recaptured in January. Some generals predict the city to be cleared from IS militants by the end of this month.