Iraqi forces began operations to liberate Mousl Airport

Military sources revealed that the Iraqi troops started its expanded ground attack with over 20 thousand soldiers to storm Mosul Airport and Ghozlani Camp to liberate them from the grip of ISIS. They also revealed that the federal police managed to control areas in the southern side of the Iraqi city.

The Iraqi forces seek to control the camp and the airport that are adjacent to the residential areas. Iraqi military leader Malek Al Fatlawy said that the operations began expressing his aspiration to end the job before the nightfall. He added that the difficult mission is to reach the walls of the airport and the camp, saying that their control would be easier.

Iraqi officer Fadek Jassem said that the control of these sites will pave the way for the beginning of a new phase of the current fight against the extremist militias to storm the city's western coastal area. He added that the extremist group uses the suicide bombers and car bombs to suspend the advance of Iraqi troops.

In the same context, local sources revealed that 11 civilians have been killed during an air bombardment from the International Coalition in Mamoun district. They added that the raids targeted the housing buildings in the district leading to their destruction and the injury of many people.

ISIS leaders decided to withdraw a large number of its fighters in Nagar and Zangabili districts pushing the to the defensive line to confront the advance of the Iraqi troops toward the airport. Sources revealed that the clashes began in the surrounding areas of the airport amid appeals launched by the extremist group for its young supporters to participate in the fight against the Iraqi troops.

On the other hand, the forces of Iraqi federal police imposed its control on area known as the hole of horror, as the extremists used it to throw hundreds of bodies after killing them. 

On the political side, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi received a phone call from U.S Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to discuss the ways to develop the bilateral relations between the two countries and the recent developments over the operations to liberate Mousl.

The American official expressed his country's support for the current efforts exerted to liberate the country from the extremists and to restore stability and security in the Iraqi cities during the coming period. He praised the Iraqi government efforts to unify the Iraqi people stressing their readiness to support these efforts.

On his hand, Spokesperson of Turkish presidency Ibrahim Kalen revealed that the Turkish President Recep Tayeb Erdogan will meet with Kurdistan's President Masoud Barzani to discuss the regional developments.