Battle for Mosul: The story so far
January 31, 2017
Forces battling to seize back control of Mosul in northern Iraq from so-called Islamic State (IS) have reclaimed the eastern half of the city, 100 days after the offensive began.
A statement from the US-led Combined Joint Task Force said clearance operations were continuing, but that Iraqi security forces now controlled all areas on the eastern bank of the River Tigris, which flows through the city centre.
Lt Gen Stephen Townsend, the task force’s commander, described it as a “monumental achievement” for the Iraqi people.
He praised the way Iraqi security personnel, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, Sunni Arab tribesmen and Shia militiamen, assisted by US-led coalition warplanes and military advisers, had come together to fight a common enemy.
However, Gen Townsend warned: “There is still a long way to go before [IS] is completely eliminated from Iraq, and the fight for western Mosul is likely to be even tougher than the eastern side.”
The Mosul offensive was launched on 17 October, more than two years after jihadists overran the city before seizing control of much of northern and western Iraq.
On 1 November, Iraqi government forces reached the outskirts of Mosul, but they encountered fierce resistance from IS snipers, suicide bombers and shellfire.
Bad weather also hampered their advance, with poor visibility limiting the ability of aircraft to provide cover.
It took until 8 January 2017 for the Iraqi forces to advance as far as the River Tigris and another two weeks to gain full control of the eastern side of the city.
Elsewhere in the region, the Shia-dominated, paramilitary Popular Mobilisation force has been advancing westwards towards the town of Tal Afar and the border with Syria.
