Iraqi Forces Capture Important Bridge Over Tigris River

The Iraqi army announced in statements that its forces, supported by the United States, have captured an important bridge over the Tigris River as they continue their advance in the west of Mosul. According to Reuters, the capture of this bridge will assist Iraqi forces in transferring equipment and troops to the western part of Mosul, which is under the control of the Islamic State (ISIS). Government forces retook the eastern part of Mosul from ISIS about a month ago. The operation to reclaim Iraq's second-largest city began approximately four months ago. Iraqi forces must engage in street fighting to liberate western Mosul, where nearly 750,000 civilians reside. Mosul is the last major ISIS stronghold in Iraq, having fallen under the control of the Islamic State in the summer of 2014. In the battle for the liberation of Mosul, 60,000 troops are present, including 10,000 Kurdish Peshmerga fighters. It is estimated that around 10,000 ISIS fighters are in Mosul, with 3,000 of them being non-Iraqi nationals. Iraqi forces have so far reclaimed the southern areas leading to western Mosul and recently took control of Mosul Airport. Earlier, Iraqi sources reported on Sunday, March 8, that following an airstrike in western Mosul, communication equipment belonging to ISIS's Al-Bayan radio was targeted, leading to the station's broadcast being cut off. Iraqi sources also stated that the forces have taken control of the area of Al-Jawsq. The United Nations has estimated that in the new Mosul operation, up to 400,000 people may be forced to leave their homes. In this context, the Iraqi Prime Minister ordered airstrikes against ISIS positions in Syria, and Iraqi forces have reclaimed Mosul Airport and a military base from ISIS. Iraqi military forces are on the verge of attacking Mosul Airport, with the army reportedly reaching within five kilometers of the airport.