Shia militia liberate 115 km² of Mosul and capture 6 key ISIS headquarters
Shia militia. File photo.
(IraqiNews.com) Mosul – Al-Hashed al-Shaabi said Wednesday that 115 square kilometers of the city of Mosul were liberated from Islamic State militants.
In a statement obtained by Alsumaria TV, the militia said six important locations in the city became under its control, while five booby-trapped vehicles were detonated west of the city, killing all on board.
The statement added that supply lines connecting group fighters had been completely cut.
The liberated areas bring the total of Daesh-free areas in Mosul to 705 square kilometers in five days of operations by al-Hashed al-Shaabi in the city’s western section, according to the statement, which added that 47 IS fighters had been killed in that period .
Prime Minister and Armed Force chief, Haider al-Abadi, announced on Monday that Iraqi forces were so close to Mosul, demanding residents to stay at home.
Government forces, aided by a US-led coalition, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and Shia paramilitaries are carrying out a major offensive on Mosul, Islamic State’s last bastion in Iraq and its formerly proclaimed capital. IS militants have reportedly evacuated wounded comrades from hospitals to unknown locations, closed down their secret prisons and started to face food supply shortages.