U.S.-backed Iraqi forces launched a large-scale military
operation on Sunday to dislodge Islamic State militants from the western half
of Mosul, the latest phase in a four-month-old offensive to retake Iraq’s
second largest city.
The battle for western Mosul promises to be the most
daunting yet, as the half of the city west of the Tigris River has older,
narrower streets and is still home to hundreds of thousands of civilians, who
have been told to shelter in place.
Iraq declared eastern Mosul “fully liberated” last month,
but IS has continued to launch attacks there. Hours after the latest operation
was announced, suicide bombers struck troops and pro-government Sunni
militiamen in eastern Mosul.
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the start of the
operation on state TV, saying government forces were moving to “liberate the
people of Mosul from Daesh oppression and terrorism forever,” using the
Arabic acronym for IS. He called on security forces to deal
with civilians properly and to respect human rights.
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