- Title: Residents in east Mosul district welcome army, ask for supplies
- Date: 22nd November 2016
- Summary: SHAIMAA DISTRICT, EAST OF MOSUL, IRAQ (NOVEMBER 22, 2016) (REUTERS) HOUSES IN SHAIMAA DISTRICT WHITE FLAG AT ENTRANCE TO HOUSE / BOY CARRYING CHILD AND CHILD FOLLOWING IRAQI ARMY TANK DRIVING IN NEIGHBOURHOOD VIEW FROM INSIDE MILITARY HUMVEE DRIVING THROUGH DISTRICT MILITARY VEHICLES FLYING IRAQI FLAGS RESIDENTS WALKING ON ROAD, HUMVEE IN BACKGROUND (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) RESIDENT OF SHAIMAA DISTRICT, KHALED, SAYING: "Now life has changed. It is now better than before. The army has liberated us and we've got aid. The only thing we are still missing is medical aid and they (the Iraqi army) promised to bring them to us in the coming days. Life has been changed now. We only suffer from lack of water." CHILD RUNNING / MOVING MILITARY VEHICLES / CHILD RUNNING GIRLS RUNNING TO HOUSE, WOMAN STANDING IN DOORWAY SOLDIER WRITING ON OUTER WALL OF HOUSE (Arabic) READING "HEROES OF THE NINTH ARMOURED DIVISION WERE HERE" WOMAN LOOKING FROM BEHIND DAMAGED DOOR OF HOUSE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) RESIDENT OF SHAIMAA DISTRICT, QUSAY KHALED, SAYING: "The situation under Daesh was very difficult. We were restricted. We could not move around. Our movements were restricted. We were under surveillance. We have to think twice before we do anything. But now things have changed after the arrival of the security forces and the army, thank God. Our movements have become easier. We are free to go anywhere, but we still suffer from lack of services including gasoline, electricity and water and medicines for children. We still need these things." SOLDIER WITH GUN STANDING OUTSIDE HOUSE, CHILDREN STANDING BEHIND CHILDREN POSING FOR PICTURE WITH SOLDIERS HOLDING UP FINGERS IN PEACE SIGN
- Embargoed: 7th December 2016 15:25
- Keywords: Iraq Mosul Islamic State army Shaimaa district residents civilians
- Location: SHAIMAA DISTRICT, EAST OF MOSUL, IRAQ
- City: SHAIMAA DISTRICT, EAST OF MOSUL, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA00159J29MV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Residents of the recently captured Shaimaa district on the eastern outskirts of Mosul in Iraq said on Tuesday (November 22) that life under Islamic State was difficult but it is much better now that the Iraqi army has taken control although they are still in need of supplies.
Islamic State militants have steadily retreated from areas around Mosul into the city in the face of a U.S.-backed offensive by Iraqi security forces, Kurdish Peshmerga and Iranian-backed militias that began on Oct. 17.
The jihadis are dug in among the city's more than a million civilians as a defence tactic to hamper air strikes.
Thousands of civilians have streamed into areas held by government forces, although the number of people displaced by the fighting has slightly decreased, an indication that some people have begun returning home in places retaken by government forces, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The number of registered displaced people was over 68,500 on Monday.
Residents in Shaimaa appeared to be staying put, now that the Iraqi army was in control.
"Now life has changed. It is now better than before. The army has liberated us and we've got aid. The only thing we are still missing is medical aid and they (the Iraqi army) promised to bring them to us in the coming days. Life has been changed now. We only suffer from lack of water," said Khaled.
"Things have changed after the arrival of the security forces and the army, thank God. Our movements have become easier. We are free to go anywhere, but we still suffer from lack of services including gasoline, electricity and water and medicines for children. We still need these things", said another resident, Qusay Khaled. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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