- Title: Iraqi army clears recaptured village in fresh Mosul offensive
- Date: 30th December 2016
- Summary: VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS INSPECTING BODIES OF DEAD ISLAMIC STATE MILITANTS BODY OF AN ISLAMIC STATE MILITANT
- Embargoed: 14th January 2017 15:19
- Keywords: Iraq Mosul Sada IS offensive Tel Keyf military militants
- Location: SADA, NORTH OF MOSUL, IRAQ
- City: SADA, NORTH OF MOSUL, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA0025F2SJLZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS GRAPHIC MATERIAL
Iraqi forces began clearing the recently recaptured town of Sada, north of Mosul, on Friday (December 30), on the second day of a renewed push to take back Mosul after fighting stalled for several weeks.
On the northern front, Iraqi forces were clearing the recaptured areas, searching for explosives and exploring tunnels used by the Islamic State militants to facilitate their movement.
Recapturing Sada will cut off supply to town of Tel Keyf, another town on the northern limits of Mosul.
"The enemy had occupied this area and used it for resting and resupplying towards Tel Keyf and Mosul," Major General Najm al-Jubbouri, a top commander in the offensive told Reuters.
Jubbouri said the U.S.-led coalition backing Iraqi forces had killed 70 militants since late on Thursday (December 29) and were using Apache helicopters, HIMARS rocket launchers and fighter jets.
Mosul is bisected by the Tigris river, and Iraqi forces have yet to enter the western side, where 2,000-year-old markets and narrow alleyways are likely to complicate any advance.
Coalition forces bombed the last remaining bridge connecting east and west Mosul late on Monday (December 26) in a bid to block Islamic State's access across the Tigris River.
Since the offensive to capture Mosul began 10 weeks ago, counter-terrorism forces have retaken a quarter of the city, the jihadists' last major stronghold in Iraq, but their advance has been slow and troops on other fronts have made little progress.
The operation has been slowed by concern to avoid casualties among civilians, who despite food and water shortages have mostly stayed in their homes rather than fleeing as was initially expected.
More than 114,000 civilians have been displaced from Mosul so far, according to the United Nations - a fraction of the 1.5 million thought to still be inside. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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