Iraqi Army: ISIS Blows Up Historic Mosul Mosque

The Iraqi Army announced on Wednesday that the Islamic State group, ISIS, has blown up the Al-Nuri Mosque in the old part of Mosul. According to Reuters, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS, declared his self-proclaimed caliphate at the Al-Nuri Mosque three years ago. Meanwhile, the ISIS-affiliated Amaq news agency accused the US-led international coalition forces of bombing the mosque in an airstrike. In this context, the Iraqi Army's media office also released aerial images of the destroyed Al-Nuri Mosque. The Iraqi Army stated in its announcement: 'The terrorist group ISIS committed another historical crime by blowing up the Al-Nuri Mosque and its leaning minaret (Al-Hadba).' According to the statement, the Al-Nuri Mosque and the leaning minaret were blown up when Iraqi Army forces were just 50 meters away from the mosque. The Associated Press also reported that the Al-Nuri Mosque, also known as the Great Mosque of Mosul, along with its leaning minaret, had a history of over 800 years. Earlier on Wednesday, the Iraqi Army had announced that it was advancing towards the Al-Nuri Mosque. The Associated Press reported that the US-led international coalition rejected ISIS's claim regarding the explosion of the Al-Nuri Mosque, stating that there were no air operations over the old part of Mosul. General Joseph Martin, commander of the ground forces of the international coalition in Iraq, also stated: 'The explosion of the Al-Nuri Mosque and the leaning minaret is a crime against the people of Mosul and all of Iraq, and it is another example of the brutal actions of the Islamic State group.' General Joseph Martin added that the responsibility for this destruction lies with the Islamic State group. According to Reuters, the Iraqi Army announced on Tuesday that ISIS forces in the old part of Mosul had been completely surrounded. Reuters stated that the fall of Mosul effectively marks the end of the semi-Iraqi 'caliphate' of the Islamic State group, which was declared by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in the summer of 2014. At that time, the 'Islamic Caliphate' group controlled vast areas of Iraqi and Syrian territory. The Iraqi Army initially hoped to retake Mosul by the end of 2016, but the entrenchment of militants in the city's residential fabric has prolonged the battle. In Syria, Islamic State forces are also retreating, and their center in Raqqa is now surrounded by the Syrian Democratic Forces, which are fighting with US support. According to aid group statistics, about 850,000 residents of Mosul, about one-third of its total population before the fighting began, have fled the city and are now living with relatives or in refugee camps.