Daily Mail: ISIS declares state of emergency in Mosul after spate of assassinations
* Mosul is the biggest city in northern Iraq and a key oil-producing region
* The city has been in the hands of ISIS since their June 2014 offensive
* But now it is struggling to hold onto it amid airstrikes and ground attacks
* ISIS officials assassinated in Qayyarah, Sharqat and Bashiqa districts
ISIS has reportedly declared a state of emergency in Mosul and taken its troops off the streets after a series of assassinations.
The jihadist organisation, sometimes referred to as Daesh, is on the back foot in Iraq and Syria as it comes under increasing pressure from air strikes and ground attacks.
ISIS captured Mosul - the biggest city in northern Iraq and a key oil centre - in June 2014 but its hold on the area has grown weaker in recent weeks as the Iraqi army and Kurdish forces attack from opposite directions.
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More News On The Battle For Mosul
ISIS declares emergency in Mosul after waves of assassinations -- Iraqi News
The end of ISIS? Crumbling caliphate declares state of emergency in desperation -- Daily Star
ISIS deploys special battalion in Mosul entrances -- Iraqi News
Iraq Counting on Russia's Assistance in Liberating Mosul From Daesh -- Sputnik
US delegation in Kurdistan as Mosul offensive appears to inch forward -- RUDAW
Turkey demands role in Mosul battle, but coalition unconvinced -- Al-Monitor
Kurdistan, US, Iraq to hold trilateral talks next week to prepare for Mosul -- RUDAW
Iraq: Isis tries to hold on to Mosul with special forces, torture of civilians -- IBTimes
Is Mosul heading for a last 'apocalyptic' IS stand? -- Orla Guerin, BBC
8 comments:
Isis is and has been made out to much stronger military than what they actually are. An illusion that wasnt helped by the routing of the Iraqi army.
Rommel with 10, 000 afric korp along with ww2 era armour and air power would have been more than enough to liberate mosul in short order, let alone the military resources available to todays coalition.
These things tend to end with a whimper rather than a bang
fazman,
You're right, but today's political restraints and realities put military solutions into a straight jacket with little or no imagination allowed.
Paradoxically I believe this increases the misery and casualties, especially among the civilian population.
I've maintained since the beginning that if ISIS had been smashed in the mouth by a half assed professional military this would been over a long time ago.
They should have retaken Raqqa and Mosul immediately with professional troops declared the surrounding no go zones and shot anything that moved there. This would have taken out two of ISIS's big selling points, the seat of the so called Caliphate and put a big damper on European recruitment.
But something like this would not be allowed.
Of course the above plan would have also meant dealing with pro Iranian militias, but I think that might not have a big a problem as some would think.
Well back to the arm chair.
The armchair I refer to is course my own.
Fazman,
Very respectfully the opposite is true. ISIS has been consistently made out to be weaker than it actually is starting from the ridiculous comment of BHO that this was some sort of "jay vee" team up until today.
This is a VERY tough enemy. When ISIS arose it captured and held territory at a faster and more efficient rate than the US military ever could have even before it was worn down by continued military operations. Defeating this enemy is going to be VERY tough but it will likely be defeated. Chiefly this is because while it a formidable fighting force it was not able to make the adjustment to behaving like a normal nation state does and turned pretty much everyone against it.
James,
You may well be correct. It does seem that limited military operations do place civilian populations in more peril than decisive ones do. You are correct that such things cannot happen right now because of the political restraints you mention. An additional problem is even if these restraints are removed the worn down and baldy depleted US military is probably not capable of the type of action needed. Even if it is the losses to US military forces would be enormous in both men and equipment if the type of action you seem to suggest is carried out.
B Poster,
"Even if it is the losses to US military forces would be enormous in both men and equipment if the type of action you seem to suggest is carried out." barring direct Russian intervention, I don't think so.
James correct, isis was a minor league team with big aspirations and ONLY rose through the ranks simply because the other team failed to show up because they didnt have a play book.
There was nothing efficent or skillful about it, they should and could have been routed long ago.
Exactly
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