- Title: Iraqi army secures recaptured villages south of Mosul
- Date: 23rd October 2016
- Summary: SAFFIYRA VILLAGE, NEAR SHOURA, 30 KM SOUTH OF MOSUL, IRAQ (OCTOBER 23, 2016) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF THE AREA FEDERAL POLICE MEMBERS PREPARING TO FIRE MORTARS VARIOUS OF FEDERAL POLICE MEMBERS FIRING MORTARS VARIOUS OF FEDERAL POLICE FIRING ROCKETS FROM THE TOP OF A HUMVEE ROCKET EXPLODING NEAR HOUSE THOUGHT TO CONTAIN ISLAMIC STATE MILITANTS FEDERAL POLICE FORCE FIRING ROCKETS AND RIFLES SMOKE EMERGING FROM THE TARGETED LOCATION VARIOUS OF FEDERAL POLICE FORCES FIRING RIFLES SOLDIERS AND HUMVEES AT SCENE IRAQI ARMY AT SCENE VARIOUS OF SOLDIER FIRING ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUN ARTILLERY HITTING SIDE OF THE HOUSE HEAD OF THE NINEVEH OPERATIONS, BRIGADIER NIJEM AL JABOUR, SPEAKING: (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD OF THE NINEVEH OPERATIONS, BRIGADIER NIJEM AL JABOUR, SAYING: "Our troops in the small mountain here, they are trying to control plant power of electricity, but we receive some orders to stop here because we do not have any air support." ELECTRICITY POWER PLANT SOLDIERS STORMING HOUSES (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD OF THE NINEVEH OPERATIONS, BRIGADIER NIJEM AL JABOUR, SAYING: "ISIS collapsed, ISIS now their morale very down. You can read on the faces of the soldiers and the civilians with us, their morale very high, and I think this is the end of ISIS." VARIOUS OF RESIDENTS APPLAUDING AND CHANTING TO THE SOLDIERS, SAYING (Arabic) "WELCOME" AND "THIS IS THE END OF DAESH" HARARAH VILLAGE, NEAR SHOURA, 30 KM SOUTH OF MOSUL, IRAQ (OCTOBER 23, 2016) (REUTERS) IRAQI ARMY HUMVEES DRIVING IN STREET HUMVEE PARKED NEAR HOUSE / SOLDIERS NEARBY IRAQI ARMY HUMVEE EXTERIOR OF ABANDONED HOUSE VARIOUS OF DAMAGED CAR EXTERIOR OF ABANDONED HOUSE VARIOUS OF ANOTHER HOME, SHEEP OUTSIDE PEOPLE STANDING IN FRONT OF HOUSE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) RESIDENT OF HARARAH VILLAGE, MOHAMMED AWAD, SAYING: "As soon as security forces advanced, (the Islamic State militants) took families hostage, they took them towards Al Hamam and Mosul. Some of us escaped outside the village, and now we are liberated, thank God. They took them as human shields so that they could blend in with the families." EXTERIOR OF AWAD'S HOUSE ALLEYWAY IN THE VILLAGE HUMVEE IN FRONT OF SHOPS SOLDIERS ATOP A HUMVEE
- Embargoed: 7th November 2016 13:55
- Keywords: Islamic State counter-terrorism unit clashes gunfire recaptured village
- Location: SOUTH OF MOSUL, IRAQ
- City: SOUTH OF MOSUL, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA0015585DMV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Iraqi armed forces were stationed in Saffiyra village, south of Mosul, on Sunday (October 23) as part of a wider operation to retake the city from Islamic State.
Brigadier Nijem Al Jabour, who is leading the operation said, they were waiting for air support before proceeding further.
Saffiyra is among the 50 villages that have been taken from the militants since the start of the Mosul offensive on Monday.
Residents cheered the army, chanting slogans in its support.
In the Hararah village, also south of Mosul, one man described how the militants took some residents hostage, while some managed to flee.
U.S.-led coalition forces have advanced to within 5 km (3 miles) of Mosul at the closest point, the interior minister of the Kurdish regional government has said. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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