Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Mosul Campaign Day Twenty-Nine, Nov 14, 2016


The Hashd re-started its push to the southwest of Mosul. For the last several days they were consolidating their position and likely re-supplying. On November 14 they made a new advance taking seven towns.

Elements of the 9th Division freed a town in the southeast as well.

In Mosul there were more reports of civilian casualties. Bas News had a story that shelling killed 63 civilians in the eastern Qadisiyah neighborhood. Iraq Oil Report mentioned that the Islamic State executed civilians in two different areas on charges of collaborating with the government and refusing to evacuate their homes. The toll of the fighting so far has been obfuscated by government censorship. Only the occasional news story has anything on the dead and wounded and those do not appear that often.

Reporters talked with some of those displaced by the fighting. Agence France Presse interviewed people who were starting to come back to Bashiqa east of Mosul that was just freed by the Peshmerga. They were shocked by the destruction that they found. Reuters met with a group of displaced people in Baybukh north of Mosul who have been left to fend for themselves. The story didn’t say why but they were not allowed to move to a displaced camp or another town and the government did not provided with them any transportation out of their situation or aid. The Norwegian Refugee Council said that they had no food, water, electricity or other services, while soldiers were trying to give them provisions. Expelling the Islamic State is only the first step in the war against the Islamic State. Returning people to their homes, repairing the damage, rebuilding the economies, dealing with IS sympathizers, etc. are all work to be done.

There has been a huge increase in displaced in the last few days since eastern Mosul was reached. The U.N. reported 54,282 people had fled their homes up to November 13. That was a 35% increase over the last seven days. As the Iraqi forces enter more parts of the city this number is likely to continue to climb.

SOURCES

Bas News, "63 Civilians Killed by IS Shelling in Eastern Mosul," 11/14/16

Delany, Max, “Battle with IS leaves melting pot Iraq towns in ruin,” Agence France Presse, 11/14/16

Al Forat, "Freed Mushayrifa village in Zab district," 11/14/16

Iraq Oil Report, “Inside Mosul: Nov. 14, 2016,” 11/14/16

Kalin, Stephen, “Iraqi civilians stranded north of Mosul grow desperate,” Reuters, 11/14/16

Al Maalomah, "Badr announces the freeing of three villages and evacuation of 500 civilians," 11/14/16

Mostafa, Mohamed, “Al-Hashed al-Shaabi, federal police, resume offensives on west, east of Mosul,” 11/14/16
- "Security forces and al-Hashed al-Shaabi liberate 3 villages east and west of Mosul," Iraqi News, 11/14/16

Rudaw, "Shiite force eyes ISIS' top leader as it begins fresh offensive west of Mosul," 11/14/16

UN High Commission for Refugees, “Iraq Situation: Flash Update – 13 November 2013,” 11/13/16


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