Iraqi forces have made a crucial step in the bloody quest to retake Mosul from the Islamic State, according to a spokesman for the country’s military. Iraqi Brig.
Category: Iraq
Iraqi forces battle on in Mosul university complex
Iraqi special forces drove back Islamic State militants in the Mosul University campus on Saturday, while elite police units took over large areas along the east bank of the Tigris river, military officials said. The head of Iraq’s Counter Terrorism Service said security forces were close to seizing the entire east bank of the Tigris, which bisects Mosul north to south.
Iraq makes swift territorial gains against IS in Mosul
Iraqi forces have won a string of swift territorial gains in Mosul in the fight against the Islamic State group after months of slow progress. Government troops retook the eastern edge of a third bridge in Mosul Saturday and a cluster of buildings inside Mosul university, according to a senior Iraqi officer overseeing the operation.
ISIS, Iraqi forces battle for control of Mosul University
A member of Iraqi Special Operations Forces carries a rocket launcher at Mosul University during a battle with ISIS militants on Saturday. Iraqi forces have won a string of swift territorial gains in Mosul in the fight against ISIS after four months of slow progress, but resistance from the militant group persists at various locations, including the city’s university complex.
17:36 Air raid targeting IS militant kills up to 30 in Iraq’s Mosul: residents
Residents of the Iraqi city of Mosul said up to 30 civilians died in an air strike on a district held by Islamic State this week, Reuters reported. Locals said they saw at least three missiles hit the western Mosul al-Jadida area on Thursday, in a raid that appeared to target the house of senior militant Harbi Abdel Qader.
Iraqi forces reach Mosul bridge, enter university complex
Friday 13th, January 2017 / 22:28 Written by Oman Observer MOSUL/BAGHDAD: Iraqi special forces stormed the Mosul University complex in the city’s northeast on Friday and pushed IS further back to reach another bridge across the Tigris river, the military said.
Iraqi forces enter Mosul University in battling ISIS for city23 min ago
Irbil , Jan 13: Two Iraqi officers say Iraqi special forces have entered the Mosul University, a tactical achievement in battling Islamic State militants for control of the city. The officers say the troops entered the university grounds today morning and secured parts of the compound, located in eastern half of Mosul.
Shahd Mahmood, 19, was injured with her sister in a bomb blast at their home in Iraq
TWO sisters who desperately need reconstructive surgery after a bomb blew up their home in Iraq are relying on a Bradford-based aid agency to get them help in the West. An appeal has been launched by the Human Relief Foundation to raise up to A 60,000 – and the charity is hoping people across Bradford and the UK will give their support.
Top Iraqi commander: Mosul could be liberated in 3 months
Iraqi security forces flash V signs for victory outside al-Salam hospital in Mosul, Iraq, Tuesday. The Mosul hospital has been left almost completely gutted by the battle to retake it.
Beauty salon in a war zone: Canadians with Samaritan’s Purse working give Yazidis their future back
Calgarian John Clayton, an old hand at providing emergency aid in places such as Haiti and South Sudan, says that in 26 years of humanitarian work overseas he had never seen a community in such need of assistance as the Yazidis. “I do not wish to diminish the suffering of any other group at the hands of ISIL, but the Yazidis were their No.
Iraqi forces push further into northeast Mosul, military says
Iraqi forces made new advances against Islamic State in east Mosul and fought the militants in areas near the Tigris river on Wednesday, seeking to build on recent gains, military officials said. A Reuters reporter in eastern Mosul said CTS forces were engaged in clashes in Sadeeq and were firing into neighbouring Hadba, where their units had been fighting the day before.
Iraqi forces advance in east Mosul
Iraqi forces patrol a street in Mosul next to the Al-Salam Hospital in the Wihdah neighborhood after recapturing the area from Daesh. A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on January 11, 2017, on page 9.
Fierce battles leave hospital in Iraqi city of Mosul gutted
After weeks of airstrikes and artillery fire, Mosul’s al-Salam hospital is little more than a burnt-out shell. Retaken from the Islamic State group by Iraqi forces this month, the building’s top floors were almost completely destroyed.
Iraq Confirms Oil-Output Cut Even as Scheduled Exports Rise
Iraq has reduced its oil production by 160,000 barrels a day and will comply with cuts it agreed to make under an OPEC output deal, Oil Minister Jabbar Al-Luaibi said, even as ship loading data suggested that exports are set to increase next month. The Persian Gulf producer is poised to ship 3.64 million barrels a day of crude oil in February from its ports in southern Basra province, according to a loading program obtained by Bloomberg, more than its December average of 3.51 million barrels a day, which itself was a record high.
ISIS is targeting civilians as its last Iraqi stronghold slips out of its grasp
Iraqi forces pushed Islamic State fighters back further in Mosul on Tuesday in a renewed effort to seize the northern city and deal a decisive blow to the militant group, though progress was slower in some districts, the army said. Iraqi forces and their allies have captured villages and towns surrounding Mosul and seized at least two-thirds of its eastern districts, military officials say, pushing right up to the eastern bank of the Tigris river in recent days.
UN: Civilians increasing flee IS-held Mosul; 135,500 now out
Elite counterterrorism forces transport civilians fleeing their homes during fighting between Iraqi security forces and Islamic State militants in Mosul, Iraq, Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. GENEVA – The U.N.’s humanitarian aid agency says an average of 1,000 people have fled the Iraqi city of Mosul each day over the last week amid a stepped-up Iraqi offensive to retake the city from the Islamic State group.
Oil recovers some of its recent losses
Oil markets edged higher today on expectations that at least some planned production cuts would be implemented, making a slight recovery from big losses the previous day over doubts the agreed reductions would rebalance an oversupplied market. Brent crude futures, the international benchmark for oil prices, were trading at $55.14 per barrel early this morning, up 20 cents from their last close.
Dow Jones Industrial Average Today Slides on Falling Oil Prices
The Dow Jones Industrial Average today slipped thanks to a downturn in crude oil prices, but that didn’t stop the Nasdaq from hitting another record high. Now, here’s a look at today’s most important market events and stocks, plus a preview of Tuesday’s economic calendar.
U.S. Navy destroyer fires warning shots at Iranian vessels: U.S. officials
A U.S. Navy destroyer fired three warning shots at four of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps vessels on Sunday after they closed in at a high rate of speed in the Strait of Hormuz, two U.S. defense officials told Reuters on Monday. The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the USS Mahan established radio communication with the boats but they did not respond to requests to slow down.
Uk PM May: Wrong to say hard Brexit is inevitable
British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Monday it was wrong to say she was talking about a “hard Brexit”, after the pound fell to two-month lows following an interview she gave on Sunday. The pound dropped after traders felt May had indicated during the interview that Britain would dramatically rework trade ties with the EU after Brexit.
News 24 Mins Ago Battling is, Iraq troops reach bank of Tigris River in Mosul
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Deadly car bomb attack claimed by IS
A car bomb blast killed at least 13 people and wounded 50 others at a vegetable market in eastern Baghdad on Sunday, police and medical sources said. The explosion hit the mainly Shi’ite district of Jamila, the sources said with Islamic State later claiming that they were behind the blast.
Iraq says deal reached over Bashiqa, Turkey says issue will be solved
Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Saturday an agreement had been reached with Turkey over an Iraqi demand that Turkish forces withdraw from the Bashiqa camp near Mosul in the north of the country, Iraqi state TV reported. However, a joint communique issued after Abadi met his Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim in Baghdad did not refer to any such deal, but said both sides stressed that Bashiqa was an Iraqi camp.
Ghana swears in Akufo-Addo as president
Ghana’s President elect Nana Akufo-Addo takes the oath of office during the swearing-in ceremony lead by Ghana Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood at Independence Square in Accra, Ghana January 7, 2017. Ghana’s President elect Nana Akufo-Addo takes the oath of office during the swearing-in ceremony lead by Ghana Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood at Independence Square in Accra, Ghana January 7, 2017.
Iraq says deal reached over withdrawal of Turkish forces from Bashiqa
BAGHDAD: Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Saturday an agreement had been reached with Turkey over an Iraqi demand that Turkish forces withdraw from a town near Mosul in the north of the country, Iraqi state TV reported. Abadi met his Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim in Baghdad.
Turkish PM visits Iraq amid spat over unauthorized troops
Iraq’s state TV says the Turkish Prime Minister has arrived in Baghdad in his first visit since the two governments quarreled over the presence of unauthorized Turkish troops in northern Iraq. The Saturday report didn’t give details on the schedule of Binali Yildirim’s two-day visit.
Obama calls for smooth transition
President Barack Obama called for a smooth handover of control of the U.S. military to incoming commander in chief Donald Trump, as the outgoing president met Wednesday with military leaders for the last time. “We’ve got to make sure that during this transition period that there is a seamless passing of the baton, that there’s continuity,” Obama said.
Israelis Split Over Soldier’s Conviction for ‘Needless’ Killing of Wounded Palestinian Assailant
Elor Azaria’s mother screamed Wednesday as the judges walked out of a military courtroom in Tel Aviv, Israel. But her son, a 20-year-old Israel Defense Forces medic, sat emotionless as the judge convicted him of manslaughter in one of the most polarizing cases in Israel’s history.
American Military Advisers Have Entered Mosul at Times, US Official Says
Since the start of the Iraqi offensive to retake Mosul in mid-October, U.S. officials have not confirmed whether American advisers would operate in the city accompanying Iraqi forces while remaining behind the front lines. “They have been in the city at different times, yes,” said Colonel John Dorrian, the U.S. military spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve, in response to a question about whether American military advisers have entered Mosul as part of the Iraqi offensive.
Trump Nominates Jay Clayton as Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman
“Jay Clayton is a highly talented expert on many aspects of financial and regulatory law, and he will ensure our financial institutions can thrive and create jobs while playing by the rules at the same time,” Trump said in a statement released by his transition team. “We need to undo many regulations which have stifled investment in American businesses, and restore oversight of the financial industry in a way that does not harm American workers.”
Tributes paid to ‘superb soldier’ killed in Iraq incident
Lance Corporal Scott Hetherington, 22, of 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, died following a “tragic incident” at Camp Taji, north of Baghdad, on Monday. The circumstances of the death of the father-of-one, from Middleton, Greater Manchester, are being investigated, the Ministry of Defence said.
64 killed in bombings in Baghdad
Five car bombs detonated in the Iraqi capital on Monday, marking a bloody start to the year as Iraq attempts to squeeze the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant from its last remaining territory in the country. Sixty-four people were killed in the attacks, according to a security official from Baghdad Operations Command, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
IS suicide bomber kills 36 in Baghdad market
A suicide bomber driving a pickup loaded with explosives struck a bustling market in Baghdad on Monday, killing at least 36 people in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group hours after French President Francois Hollande arrived in the Iraqi capital. The bomb went off in a fruit and vegetable market that was packed with day laborers, a police officer said, adding that another 52 people were wounded.
Iraq: Suicide Bombing Kills at Least 22 in Baghdad
A suicide bomber blew up his explosives-laden vehicle Monday in a bustling market area in Baghdad, killing at least 22 people, Iraqi officials said, hours after the arrival of French President Francois Hollande to the country and amid a fierce fight against the Islamic State group. The bomber driving a pickup truck attacked an outdoor fruit and vegetable market, day laborers and a police checkpoint in Baghdad’s eastern Sadr City district, a police officer said.
Islamic State kills 24 in Baghdad blast, cuts road to Mosul
People look at a burned vehicle at the site of car bomb attack in a busy square at Baghdad’s sprawling Sadr City district, in Iraq January 2, 2017. People gather at the site of car bomb attack in a busy square at Baghdad’s sprawling Sadr City district, in Iraq January 2, 2017.
France’s Holland starts official visit to Iraq
During his one-day visit which started on Monday, Hollande is scheduled to meet with Iraqi President Fuad Masum and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in the capital, Baghdad.
Iraq forces hold 60% of east Mosul, draw U.S. praise, face close-quarters fight west of Tigris
Iraqi forces gather in the Al-Intisar area in eastern Mosul after recapturing it in an ongoing military operation against Islamic State group jihadis, on Sunday. Iraqi forces have retaken more than 60 percent of eastern Mosul from the Islamic State group since the battle for the city began in mid-October, a top commander said.
Humble Iraqi dish offers taste of home for Mosul’s displaced
Long before it became famous as a battlefield in the fight against the Islamic State group, the Iraqi city of Mosul was known for its ancient cuisine, enriched by Syrian, Turkish and Persian recipes. Mosul chefs make savory meat pies known as kubbeh and spicy flatbread smeared with ground beef, which can be found in Middle Eastern restaurants the world over.
Istanbul attack revives terror jitters in New Year
In London, over 100,000 people lined the banks of the River Thames to watch a spectacular fireworks display set to a soundtrack featuring Bowie and Prince. Photo: AFP An attack that killed 35 revelers in an Istanbul nightclub cast a shadow on New Year celebrations attended by millions of people around the world to ring in 2017.
New year has bleak start for Iraq’s displaced people
There were no big New Year’s celebrations for the Iraqi men, women and children who narrowly escaped the fighting in Mosul, only to wait for hours under armed guard while the fighting-age males among them were cleared of links to the Islamic State. The lucky ones would go with their families to one of the wind-swept camps for displaced Iraqis, where they will endure the remainder of northern Iraq’s bitterly cold winter in tents and learn to survive on insufficient supplies of food, heating oil and blankets.