BAGHDAD (AP) – Iraqi militarized police captured a neighborhood on the western side of Mosul on Sunday amid fierce clashes with Islamic State militants, as thousands of people continued to flee the battle to government-controlled areas, security officials said.
Iraqi forces, backed by aerial support by the U.S.-led international coalition, launched a new push last week to drive IS militants from Mosul’s west, capturing so far the city’s international airport and an adjacent military base. Iraqi authorities declared Mosul’s eastern half “fully liberated” from the Sunni militants in January, three months after launching the operation to take back Iraq’s second-largest city.
At dawn Sunday, the Federal Police Commandos Division moved into the Tayaran neighborhood amid fierce clashes, Maj. Gen. Haider al-Maturi told The Associated Press from Baghdad. Al-Maturi said the neighborhood “is now under their full control.”
Al-Maturi said IS militants deployed at least 10 suicide car bombs, but nine of them were blown up before reaching their targets. The 10th killed two policemen and wounded five. Al-Maturi added that his forces arrested two militants – an Iraqi and a foreigner who speaks Russian.
Elsewhere, up to 3,000 people fled from the Mamun neighborhood Sunday morning, according to Iraqi special forces Brig. Gen. Salam Hashed, who oversees a screening center south of Mosul. Hashed said just over 2,500 people fled the previous day.