- Title: Iraqi forces battle IS for control of village southeast of Mosul
- Date: 10th December 2016
- Summary: GANOUS VILLAGE, SOUTH MOSUL, IRAQ (DECEMBER 10, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF IRAQI SOLDIERS FIRING FROM ROOFTOP OF BUILDING MACHINE-GUN TANK IN DEFENSIVE EMPLACEMENT TANK FIRING SMOKE AT FAR DISTANCE BEHIND HOUSES OF VILLAGE, AUDIO OF GUNFIRE VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS FIRING FROM ROOFTOP OF BUILDING VARIOUS OF MOUNTED MACHINE-GUN ON HUMVEE FIRING BULLETS BEING ATTACHED TO CARTRIDGE BELT SOLDIER ADJUSTING CARTRIDGE BELT ON MACHINE-GUN FIRST LIEUTENANT WITH NINTH ARMOURED DIVISION, BRIGADE 37, MOHAMMED DERE, GIVING DIRECTION TO TANK (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FIRST LIEUTENANT WITH NINTH ARMOURED DIVISION, BRIGADE 37, MOHAMMED DERE, SAYING: "We are in al-Sihel village and, God willing, the forces are advancing towards Ganous village, which is held by Daesh. The tank is trying to cut off the Daesh supply route and the forces will enter the village soon to liberate it from the terrorist Daesh." GROUP OF IRAQI SOLDIERS WITH OFFICER SOLDIER ON TANK TANK DRIVING VARIOUS OF ARMOURED VEHICLE DRIVING AND FIRING SOLDIER LOOKING THROUGH BINOCULARS SMOKE BILLOWING FROM BEHIND HOUSES, AUDIO OF GUNFIRE
- Embargoed: 25th December 2016 14:40
- Keywords: Iraq Islamic State militants army defence conflict Middle East
- Location: GANOUS VILLAGE, SOUTH MOSUL, AND NINEVEH AND SALAHUDDIN PROVINCES; IRAQ
- City: GANOUS VILLAGE, SOUTH MOSUL, AND NINEVEH AND SALAHUDDIN PROVINCES; IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVA0015CAVQ6F
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
Iraqi army forces backed by Sunni Arab tribesmen on Saturday (December 10) said they were advancing in the fight to retake Ganous village south of Mosul from Islamic State militants.
Backed by Sunni tribal fighters, army troops engaged in heavy machine-gun clashes with militants holed up in the village of Ganous, near the town of Shirqat, about 70 km (45 miles) south of Mosul.
The forces have been fighting for the control of the village for almost a week now, but the militants have hit back with suicide car bombs and rocket-propelled grenades, army and police officers said.
"We are in al-Sihel village and, God willing, the forces are advancing towards Ganous village, which is held by Daesh. The tank is trying to cut off the Daesh supply route and the forces will enter the village soon to liberate it," Iraqi army officer Mohammed Dere said.
Further north, the Iraqi army said on Saturday it took full control of two more districts of east Mosul, pushing back Islamic State militants in a slow and hard-fought advance into the city whose 1 million residents face growing shortages of fuel, water and food.
A military statement said on Saturday elite Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) troops took over the neighbourhoods of al-Murour and al-Qadisiya al-Oula, expanding their area of control in the east of the city.
The ministry of defence also released footage of air strikes they had carried out targeting IS hideouts in Nineveh and Salahuddin provinces.
Despite the reported advance, the army's progress in Mosul remains painstakingly slow, facing brutal counter attacks from the hugely outnumbered but well prepared and heavily armed jihadists who have controlled the city since mid-2014. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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