Iraqi Army: We Are Close to the End of the Battle in Mosul

Iraqi army commanders say that in the operation to liberate Mosul, they have reached a 'few dozen meters' from the end of the battle with ISIS fighters, and the city will be fully under their control in the coming hours. The Joint Operations Command of the Iraqi Armed Forces stated in a statement on July 7 that 'our units are still advancing... there is not much left for the forces to reach the river.' U.S. Army Brigadier General Robert Saff also told AFP, 'I don't want to predict whether it will be today or tomorrow, but I think [the liberation of Mosul] will happen soon.' The American commander stated that remnants of ISIS are expected to try to inflict 'as much damage as they can' in the coming hours. This is not the first time Iraqi forces have issued a statement regarding the liberation of Mosul. Since they successfully entered the old city of Mosul on the banks of the Tigris River, similar statements about the 'imminent liberation' of Mosul have been released. One of the most significant factors affecting the Mosul operation has been the presence of a large number of civilians in areas controlled by the 'Islamic State' in the western part and especially in the old city of Mosul. Despite the relocation of many civilians and their accommodation in established camps, a senior UN official stated on July 5 that up to 20,000 civilians are still trapped in the old city of Mosul with extremist militants. On Saturday, Iraqi state television reported that during recent clashes, 35 members of the ISIS group were killed and six were captured. These individuals were attempting to escape the city by crossing the river. The operation to retake Mosul from ISIS began last October, with the support of a U.S.-led coalition, and included the Iraqi army, special anti-terrorism forces, federal police, Kurdish Peshmerga, and government-backed militias. Mosul is the second-largest city in Iraq and, alongside Raqqa in Syria, is one of the most significant areas captured during the advances of the self-proclaimed Islamic State three years ago.