- Title: At least two killed in IS car bomb attack in eastern Mosul
- Date: 17th November 2016
- Summary: AL-ZAHRAA NEIGHBOURHOOD, EAST MOSUL, IRAQ (NOVEMBER 17, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MAN CARRYING WOUNDED CHILD / CHILD WAILING COUNTER TERRORISM SERVICE (CTS) SOLDIER BANDAGING UP WOUNDED CHILD BLOOD ON WOUNDED BOY'S LEGS
- Embargoed: 2nd December 2016 17:53
- Keywords: Islamic State car bomb Mosul Al-Zahraa Iraq
- Location: AL-ZAHRAA, MOSUL, IRAQ
- City: AL-ZAHRAA, MOSUL, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA00158U411J
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: PLEASE NOTE: CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES
At least two women were killed and dozens were wounded after an Islamic State car bomb exploded in the eastern Mosul district of Al Tahrir on Thursday (November 17).
The Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) humvees came to the victims' assistance. Men carried wounded women and children and put them in the Humvees waiting in the nearby al-Zahraa neighborhood.
"I was wounded when the wall fell on us, the roof fell over us. A car bomb went off. Many were killed. 4 or 5 of our neighbours were killed," said a wounded man.
The militants are dug in among the civilians as a defense tactic to hamper air strikes, moving around the city through tunnels, driving suicide car bombs into advancing troops and hitting them with sniper and mortar fire.
"Daesh (Islamic State) has used various methods, including targeting civilians. Today a car bomb went off which led to wounding civilians and the death of several women. As you know, Tahrir is one of the districts of Mosul, God willing not much remains until we liberate the whole city," said Thamer Ali, a Counter Terrorism Service fighter.
The CTS special forces spearheading the advance into Mosul are part of a 100,000-strong force of army, security forces, Kurdish peshmerga fighters and mainly Shi'ite "Popular Mobilisation" forces aiming to drive Islamic State from the largest city under their control in Iraq or Syria.
The U.S.-backed offensive to crush Islamic State in its last major city stronghold in Iraq entered a second month on Thursday (November 17) as forces arrayed against the hardline Sunni group sought finally to seal off Mosul from all sides.
The offensive to take Mosul, the largest city under Islamic State control in either Iraq or Syria, is turning into the biggest battle in Iraq's turbulent history since the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003.
Iraqi military estimates put the number of Islamic State fighters in the city at 5,000 to 6,000. Facing them is a 100,000-strong coalition of Iraqi government forces, Kurdish fighters and Shi'ite paramilitary units. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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