Iraq's Counter-Terrorism Service and rapid response units kicked off an operation to liberate al-Abar and al-Tanak neighbourhoods in western Mosul on Wednesday (April 12th), Iraq’s Joint Operations Command said.
"The attack on the two neighbourhoods is launched from two fronts with aerial coverage from the international coalition," command spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasoul told Diyaruna.
Iraqi forces are now engaged in battles with "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL) gunmen "in narrow alleys and streets", he said.
"We are currently evacuating residents from the areas that have been recaptured," he said, noting that residents have been told via loudspeakers to keep away from windows and not leave their houses until the full liberation of the two neighbourhoods has been announced.
