Iraqi Army Aiming to Liberate Mosul Before Ramadan

According to reports from Iraq, the army and special forces of the country are fighting against members of the group known as 'Islamic State' in several remaining areas of western Mosul and are striving for the complete liberation of the city before the start of Ramadan. The battle for the liberation of Mosul, Iraq's most important city, which was captured by extremists during ISIS's extensive advances in 2014, began last October. Reports indicate that over the past two weeks, with the opening of a new front in northwestern Mosul, the advance of Iraqi army forces has gained momentum. Reuters reports that ISIS members are expected to soon make their last stand around the al-Nuri Mosque, the site where the so-called Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS, declared the caliphate. According to intelligence and military officials, the Iraqi army intends to liberate the al-Nuri Mosque before the start of Ramadan, which begins on June 6. The liberation of the al-Nuri Mosque would not only be a symbolic success but also a strategic victory for the Iraqi army. Lieutenant Nofal al-Daheri of the Iraqi army told Reuters that if the advances continue as they are, 'we will be able to complete the operation in the coming days.' The Associated Press also quotes Brett McGurk, the special envoy of the U.S. President, stating that the battles are in the 'final stages': 'The world is now seeing that [Iraqi] soldiers are completely destroying ISIS.' This American official, who is in Iraq, described the battles for the recapture of Mosul as 'one of the hardest urban battles since World War II.' Reports indicate that the remaining members of the Islamic State group have increasingly resorted to using car bombs and placing snipers among the hundreds of thousands of civilians remaining in western Mosul. Military officials have stated that the number of ISIS fighters has significantly decreased, and the remaining ones have little ammunition and weaponry. Nevertheless, the Associated Press reports that local officials are calling for more assistance for the reconstruction of Mosul. General Mohammed Shimmari from the Ninawa Command has told Mr. McGurk, 'We are awaiting more support following the liberation of the western part of the city [Mosul].' The U.S. special envoy also spoke of 'hundreds of projects' that the Washington-led coalition is financing, but the Associated Press notes that current financial promises, while the government in Baghdad faces an economic crisis and has requested help from the international community, are still less than Iraq's current needs.