- Title: Iraqi forces advance against IS in Mosul night raid
- Date: 7th January 2017
- Summary: FURQAN NEIGHBOURHOOD IN MOSUL, IRAQ (JANUARY 7, 2017) (REUTERS) COUNTER-TERRORISM SERVICE (CTS) HUMVEES AND SOLDIERS STANDING ON STREET SOLDIERS WALKING DOWN THE STREET WITH GUNS VARIOUS OF CTS HUMVEES DRIVING THROUGH AREA SOLDIERS FIRING HEAVY ARTILLERY AT ISLAMIC STATE DRONE CTS SOLDIERS STANDING ON STREET (AUDIO OF GUNFIRE) (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) COMMANDER OF THE COUNTER TERRORISM SERVICE (CTS), LIEUTENANT GENERAL ABDEL GHANI AL ASSADI, SAYING: "Daesh (Islamic State) is disintegrating fast, its situation is going from bad to worse. Only a few days are remaining before the counter-terrorism service secure our control over set targets in Eastern Mosul." CTS COMMANDER, MAJOR GENERAL MAAN SAADI, SPEAKING TO RESIDENTS OF AREA MORE OF VARIOUS SHOTS OF CTS HUMVEES AND SOLDIERS STANDING ON STREET HUMVEE DRIVING THROUGH NEIGHBOURHOOD ARMY CONVOY DRIVING DOWN STREET BARTELLA, IRAQ (JANUARY 7, 2017) (REUTERS) CTS SPOKESMAN, SABAH AL-NUMAN TALKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) COUNTER TERRORISM SERVICE SPOKESMAN, SABAH AL-NUMAN, SAYING: "Yesterday we liberated the number 45 neighbourhood, which is called the Muthanna neighbourhood, in a significant mission that we did for the first time since two years from defeating the enemy, the ISIS enemy, it is the first time we assault a mission during the night. We cross a river, called the Khosr river (a tributary of the Tigris running through the eastern half of the city), and this river was taken by the enemy as a nature obstacle against our CTS forces approach." VARIOUS OF JOURNALISTS LISTENING
- Embargoed: 22nd January 2017 14:00
- Keywords: Iraq Mosul Furqan Bartella CTS gunfire
- Location: FURQAN NEIGHBOURHOOD IN MOSUL AND BARTELLA, IRAQ
- City: FURQAN NEIGHBOURHOOD IN MOSUL AND BARTELLA, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA0015Y2YR7R
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The Iraqi army's counter-terrorism service (CTS) advanced to the Furqan neighbourhood of Eastern Mosul on Saturday (January 7), after crossing the Khosr river in night-time operation to seize the Muthanna district.
CTS forces using night-vision equipment crossed the Khosr river, a tributary that runs perpendicular to the Tigris through eastern Mosul, via makeshift earth bridges after IS had destroyed permanent ones.
"It is the first time we assault a mission during the night. We crossed a river, called the Khosr river, and this river was taken by the enemy as a nature obstacle against CTS forces approach," said Sabah Al-Numan, counter-terrorism spokesmen.
Friday's (January 6) night-time operation, launched after a week of planning, had been a particular success, according to Numan.
Elite Iraqi troops' first night-time raid has driven the militants out of several areas east of the river in what is their last major stronghold in Iraq.
Numan said fresh advances in recent days were a consequence of new tactics and better coordination between different branches of the military.
In the Furqan neighbourhood CTS troops were firing heavy artillery at Islamic State drones flying over the area.
The jihadists, who are deploying snipers and suicide car bombers and using civilians as human shields, are still in full control of Mosul west of the Tigris.
The CTS and federal police are part of a 100,000-strong Iraqi force made up of the military, Kurdish fighters and Shi'ite militias, backed by U.S.-led air power.
A second phase of the nearly 12-week campaign to drive Islamic State out of its last major city stronghold in Iraq began a week ago. The Mosul offensive is the biggest in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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