Significant Advance of Iraqi Army in Eastern Mosul

Iraqi army officials say that special forces of the country were able to make a rapid and significant advance in Mosul on Friday, entering the university of the city and pushing Islamic State (ISIS) forces out of adjacent areas to reach two more bridges over the Tigris River. According to Reuters, clashes at Mosul University between army forces and ISIS continue. A reporter from the news agency stated that he witnessed intense fighting inside the university grounds. This university fell into the hands of ISIS when they captured Mosul in 2014. The report states that the Iraqi army has now managed to reclaim almost all areas east of the Tigris River in Mosul from ISIS forces. The Iraqi army, along with the Peshmerga of the autonomous Kurdistan region and Iraqi Shiite militias, began their operation to retake Mosul three months ago with U.S. support. A spokesperson for the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Forces said that on Friday, special forces were able to seize parts of Mosul University and reach two more of the five bridges that connect eastern and western Mosul. The spokesperson added, 'God willing, we will soon announce that the remnants of ISIS forces have been cleared from the eastern region. There is not much area left (in eastern Tigris) under their control.' According to Reuters, Iraqi forces had previously reached three of the five bridges over the Tigris and had begun operations to reach the fourth bridge a few days ago. The U.S.-led coalition, which supports Iraqi forces in this operation, also praised the advances of Iraqi forces in Mosul on Friday. John Dorian, spokesperson for the U.S.-led international coalition against ISIS, stated, 'There is still a lot of work to be done, but the days of ISIS presence in Mosul are rapidly coming to an end.' Mosul, the second-largest city in Iraq, was captured by ISIS in 2014. The liberation operation of Mosul, despite initial rapid advances, slowed down in November and December. Reuters reports that one of the main reasons for the slow advance in Mosul is the entry of government forces into urban areas and street fighting. It is reported that several thousand ISIS fighters still remain in Mosul. The report adds that suicide attacks and the use of civilians as human shields have prevented government forces from making rapid advances in urban areas. On Tuesday, international organizations expressed concern over the increasing civilian casualties in Mosul. The World Health Organization stated that in the past two weeks, an average of 50 injured individuals have been visiting hospitals in Erbil daily. Iraqi officials say that ISIS forces have recently destroyed parts of two bridges that connected eastern and western Mosul. Haider al-Abadi stated last week that the destruction of bridges in Mosul would not hinder the complete liberation of the city. In this context, ISIS executed more than 6,300 Iraqi civilians in 2016.