Iraqi forces reportedly enter western Mosul
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 24 February 2017 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Iraqi forces reportedly enter western Mosul, 24 February 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5975a59b4.html [accessed 30 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
February 24, 2017
Iraqi forces advance as they enter Mosul airport on the southern edge of the city on February 23.
The first Iraqi troops have entered a neighborhood in western Mosul as the government's four-month-long offensive to recapture the city from Islamic State (IS) militants enters its final phase, military commanders have said.
Lieutenant General Sami al-Aridhi of the Counterterrorism Service said on February 24 that Iraqi forces have moved into Mosul's Al-Maamun neighborhood.
The previous day, government forces reported capturing the disused Mosul airport and the Ghazlani military base, as well as the village of Tal al-Rayyan southwest of Mosul.
The government declared the eastern part of Mosul liberated in January.
Mosul fell to IS fighters in the summer of 2014.
U.S. officials said on February 20 that some 2,000 IS fighters were still entrenched in the city.
Some 750,000 civilians remain in the city, Iraq's second-largest and the last IS stronghold in the country.
Officials have said taking the western part of the city could be particularly difficult because it contains older neighborhoods with narrow, densely developed streets.
Iraqi forces will have a much harder time using their armored vehicles.
Based on reporting by AP and Reuters
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
