Less than 7% of the Iraqi territories are currently controlled by the Islamic State terrorist group.
An IS fighter in Mosul after the group seized control of the Iraqi city in the summer of 2014 (Photo: Reuters)
Spokesman for the Iraqi Armed Forces, Yahya Rasul, said that terrorists of the Islamic State (IS) group currently control less than 7% of the country’s territory, the AP news agency reorted.
According to Rasul, less than 30,000 square kilometers that is 6.8% of the total territory of Iraq, are now under control of the terrorist group. The general reminded that the IS had controlled 40% of Iraq, being at its sharpest.
According to the General Staff of the operation for Mosul liberation, since October 17, 2016, to April 8, 2017, the Iraqi forces have managed to destroy over 6,500 bombs and 166 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of the IS. More than 95,000 refugees have returned to their homes in Western Mosul.
On Monday, the UN reported that over 350,000 people had become refugees in Mosul due to fighting in the city. Only over the weekend, 17,000 people fled from the western part of Mosul.
Meanwhile, residents of the liberated areas of Mosul complain of officials’ inaction, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.
“Daesh [the IS] was expelled from here already a month ago! But up to now there is no water, no electricity. No one of the local official has come to us. Corpses of IS terrorists are still lying in some houses here, in this way, we are close to an epidemic,” 40-year-old Ahmed Salim told a news agency’s reporter.
At the same time, the reported noted that he witnessed a delivery of humanitarian aid to city’s residents, brought by Al-Shaabi, also known as the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), and the Iraqi Federal Police.
The operation of the Iraqi forces and the US-led coalition to liberate Mosul was started in October 2016, the eastern part of the city was liberated. In mid-February 2017, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the beginning of an operation to liberate the western part of Mosul. In March, the Iraqi government forces announced a complete encirclement of IS terrorists in Mosul and disruption of their communications with militants in Syria. The Iraqi security forces reported that they have already taken control over two-thirds of the western part of Mosul.
With Mosul freed , it will be sweet to see that 7 % gone .