Iraqi government forces control 60% of eastern Mosul: Commander

A high-ranking Iraqi military commander says government forces continue to make advances in their joint operations with pro-government fighters to liberate Mosul from the grip of Daesh terrorists, and managed to establish control over more than a half of the eastern side of the strategic northern city.

Staff Lieutenant General Abdulwahab al-Saadi, a top commander in Iraq's Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS), told AFP on Sunday that more than 60 percent of eastern Mosul has been retaken from Daesh Takfiris.

The remarks came on the same day that Iraqi security forces made advances in Mosul's eastern Intisar neighborhood.

“On the fourth day, our troops were able to liberate the Intisar neighborhood as well as the Saha neighborhood. They are now clearing the Salam neighborhood. They are clashing with the enemy. Large numbers of our enemy were killed yesterday, and Thank God the defeat broke their back. Today, we will continue our advance,” Federal Police officer, Major General Ali Lami, said.

Brigadier General Shalan Ali Saleh, another police officer, said, “Thank God, our troops are advancing according to the plan set by the Joint Operations Command. We are moving slowly to adhere to the instructions of the army chief of staff, who asked that we protect civilians. Most of these areas contain civilians, so we are avoiding the use of rockets and mortars to avoid civilian death.”

Members of the Iraqi government forces secure a street as they advance in Mosul's eastern Al-Intisar neighborhood on December 31, 2016, during an ongoing military operation against Daesh militants. (Photo by AFP)

Meanwhile, the commander of Nineveh Liberation Operation, General Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah, said Iraqi Special Operations Forces regained full control of Southern al-Karama, Younes al-Sabawi and Yafa neighborhoods in eastern Mosul on Sunday.

Iraqi army soldiers, supported by pro-government Popular Mobilization Units (commonly known by the Arabic name Hashd al-Sha’abi) and Kurdish Peshmerga forces, launched a joint operation on October 17 to retake Mosul from Daesh terrorists.

The Iraqi forces’ advance has, however, been slowed down due to the presence of hundreds of thousands of civilians, many of whom are prevented from leaving Mosul by Daesh.