Continued Advance of Iraqi Forces in Western Mosul

On Sunday, Iraqi forces continued their advance in the western region of Mosul, reaching near a strategic bridge over the Tigris River. If Iraqi forces can capture this bridge, the western areas of the city will be connected to the eastern regions controlled by government forces. According to Reuters, Colonel Falah al-Wabdan from the Iraqi Ministry of Interior's Rapid Reaction Forces stated that government troops have reached within 400 meters of this bridge. Iraqi forces recaptured eastern Mosul from ISIS in January after 100 days of battle. To liberate western Mosul, Iraqi forces must engage in street fighting in areas inhabited by nearly 750,000 civilians. Mosul is the last major stronghold of ISIS in Iraq, having fallen under their control in the summer of 2014. In the Mosul battle, 60,000 troops are present, including 10,000 Kurdish Peshmerga. It is estimated that there are about 10,000 ISIS fighters in Mosul, of which 3,000 are not Iraqi nationals. Iraqi forces have so far retaken the southern and western areas of Mosul from ISIS. Last week, these forces also managed to regain control of Mosul Airport. Additionally, Iraqi sources reported that following an airstrike in western Mosul, the communication equipment of ISIS's Radio Al-Bayan was targeted, disrupting its broadcasts. Iraqi sources also claim that they have taken control of the Al-Jawsq area in the southern right bank of Mosul. The United Nations has estimated that in the new phase of the Mosul operation, up to 400,000 people may be forced to leave their homes. In this context, Iraqi military forces are on the verge of attacking Mosul Airport, having already recaptured the airport and a military base from ISIS.