Joint Iraqi forces have made major progress in the battle for west Mosul, one day after they opened a new front from the north of the city aimed at sealing the siege of the Old City, the Joint Operations Command said Friday (May 5th).
Iraqi troops have liberated the neighbourhoods of Mashayrfa 2 and Mashayrfa 3 and portions of al-Kanisa, and retaken the water complex, the power and gas plants and the Tigris Investment Complex in the past 24 hours, command spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasul told Diyaruna.
"The joint forces have retaken 13 kilometres and inflicted heavy losses on the 'Islamic State of Iraq and Syria' (ISIS)," he said.
"Battles are ongoing on Friday to retake Mashayrfa 1, an important ISIS stronghold, while pressure is being mounted on ISIS pockets on the outskirts of al-Kanisa neighbourhood," he added.
"An operation is underway to circumvent the group from several fronts to complete its isolation and force its members to surrender," he said.
