Islamic State Group Prepares for Final Battle by Fortifying Around Mosul Mosque

Local residents of Mosul reported that militants from the Islamic State group (ISIS) have blocked and fortified the streets surrounding the Al-Nuri Mosque in Mosul. This action appears to be part of their preparation for the final battle over control of the last significant territory they hold in Iraq. According to Reuters, local residents stated that in the past 48 hours, dozens of ISIS militants have been seen stationed in buildings around this medieval mosque, which is the same location where Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS, announced the establishment of the group's self-proclaimed caliphate in July 2014. Since the summer of 2014, when ISIS seized Mosul and large areas of Syria and Iraq, the group's black flags have been flying over this mosque. However, since then, ISIS has lost vast areas of its territory. In this context, Iraqi forces, supported by the U.S., recaptured eastern Mosul earlier this year. These forces have launched a new offensive to liberate the remaining areas under ISIS control in western Mosul, which includes the old city of Mosul, the neighborhood where the Al-Nuri Mosque is located, and three adjacent residential neighborhoods on the west bank of the Tigris River. According to Reuters, the complete fall of Mosul would effectively mean the end of the Iraqi portion of the ISIS regime. Meanwhile, in Syria, Kurdish forces, supported by U.S. airstrikes, are besieging ISIS forces in Raqqa, the group's capital in Syria. The United Nations announced on Sunday that around 200,000 people are still living in dire conditions in areas controlled by ISIS in Mosul, facing severe shortages of food, drinking water, and medicine, and lacking access to medical services and hospitals. According to Reuters, the Al-Nuri Mosque has become a symbolic center of the operation to liberate western Mosul, and commanders of Iraqi units have privately expressed hope that they can liberate this mosque during Ramadan. Hashim al-Hashimi, a security expert who advises several Middle Eastern governments on combating ISIS, stated, 'ISIS militants know that this mosque will be the main target of attacks. Therefore, they have prepared themselves for a serious battle.' The battle for Mosul, now entering its eighth month, has taken longer than expected, one of the main reasons being that ISIS militants are hiding among civilians and using them as human shields. Iraqi forces have been distributing leaflets in residential neighborhoods of western Mosul urging people to flee from these areas under ISIS control, but the intensity of the fighting has prevented people from escaping. So far, about 700,000 people, equivalent to one-third of Mosul's population before 2014, have managed to flee the city and are now living in the homes of relatives and friends or in refugee camps.