Iraqi Commander: 300 Islamic State Fighters Still Resist in Mosul

An Iraqi senior commander said on Wednesday, July 4, that about 300 fighters from the Islamic State group are still resisting in a small part of the old city of Mosul. General Sami al-Aridi of the Iraqi Special Forces told the Associated Press that the area under the control of the Islamic State fighters has shrunk to about 500 square meters. It is believed that many civilians are still trapped in this area, and for every 100 meters of advance by Iraqi forces, about 1,500 civilians flee. Iraqi forces surrounded the entire city before launching the attack on western Mosul to prevent fighters from escaping to Syria. However, General al-Aridi stated that despite this, hundreds of fighters have managed to escape from the western part of Mosul. He added, 'They just shave their beards and flee. Just yesterday, we arrested two of them among women and children who were escaping.' Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi congratulated the armed forces of his country on Tuesday evening for a 'great victory in Mosul,' despite the ongoing clashes. The Prime Minister announced the end of the self-proclaimed caliphate of this group in Iraq in June. The Islamic State group captured Mosul in a matter of days during its widespread offensive in the summer of 2014. Iraqi forces, supported by an international coalition led by the United States, began the operation to liberate the city in October 2016. AFP also reported, citing Colonel Haidar Hussein, one of the commanders of Iraq's counter-terrorism units, that the advance of these units in western Mosul has been easier compared to the previous day. Colonel Haidar Hussein said, 'We have captured about 200 more meters and are less than 200 meters away from the Tigris River.' This Iraqi commander added, 'Jihadists are using new methods. They hide in houses and as soon as government forces enter, they open fire or blow themselves up.' Iraqi commanders emphasize that their enemy is not a regular army and that the war in Mosul has turned into house-to-house combat. Nevertheless, they are optimistic that this small part of Mosul will also be cleared in the coming days. Although Haider al-Abadi congratulated the Iraqi armed forces on their victory in Mosul last night, the continued fighting indicates that the final phase of the battle in this city is not yet over. The Islamic State group has lost a large part of its controlled areas in recent months, but the liberation of the cities of Mosul and Raqqa will not mean the end of the war with this group.