- Title: Iraqi forces clear houses room-by-room in operation against IS
- Date: 11th November 2016
- Summary: TIBA, SEVEN KM SOUTH OF MOSUL, IRAQ (NOVEMBER 11, 2016) (REUTERS) RAPID RESPONSE FORCES WALKING THROUGH THE VILLAGE OF TIBA, SOUTH OF MOSUL SOLDIER FIRING RIFLE INTO A HOUSE THROUGH BROKEN WINDOW SOLDIER BREAKING IN A DOOR TO A HOUSE SOLDIER FIRE RIFLE, ATTEMPTS TO BREAK DOWN DOOR INSIDE A HOUSE, FIRES RIFLE INTO DOOR SOLDIER KICKING IN A DOOR INSIDE A HOUSE SOLDIERS AND RESIDENTS STANDING IN YARD NEAR BRICK FENCE VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS LOOKING AT THE BODIES OF ISLAMIC STATE MILITANTS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MEMBER RAPID RESPONSE FORCES, FIRST LIEUTENANT RAMI FALAH, SAYING: "As you could see, there are foreign fighters here. There were a large number of the foreign fighters here in this area. Some of them withdrew into Mosul; others were killed by our air strikes and by our fighters when they first came to the area. We are now clearing the area."
- Embargoed: 26th November 2016 15:50
- Keywords: Iraqi special forces clear Tiba Islamic State dead militants
- Location: TIBA, SEVEN KM SOUTH OF MOSUL, IRAQ
- City: TIBA, SEVEN KM SOUTH OF MOSUL, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA0015803QDJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES
Iraqi armed forces cleared the recently recaptured town of Tiba, seven kilometres (4 miles) south of Mosul, on Friday (November 11), searching for any remaining Islamic State militants or improvised explosive devices left by the jihadists.
The rapid response unit also removed the bodies of Islamic State militants killed during the clashes.
"As you could see, there are foreign fighters here. There were a large number of the foreign fighters here in this area. Some of them withdrew into Mosul; others were killed by our air strikes and by our fighters when they first came to the area. We are now clearing the area," said First Lieutenant Rami Falah of the rapid response forces.
The Mosul operation, involving a 100,000-strong coalition of troops, security forces, Kurdish Peshmerga and Shi'ite Muslim militias, and backed by U.S.-led air strikes, has entered its fourth week, but has so far gained just a small foothold in the city.
Islamic State fighters have executed scores of people in and around Mosul this week, and are reportedly stockpiling ammonia and sulphur in civilian areas, possibly for use as chemical weapons, U.N. human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said on Friday.
A mass grave with over 100 bodies found in the nearby town of Hammam al-Alil was one of several Islamic State killing grounds, Shamdasani said, citing information gleaned from sources on the ground including a man who played dead during a mass execution. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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