Iraqi troops faced stiff resistance Saturday from Islamic State (ISIS) militants as they pushed deeper into eastern Mosul, backed by aerial support from the US-led international coalition, a senior military commander said.
At dawn, troops moved into the Muharabeen and Ulama neighborhoods after fully liberating the adjacent Tahrir neighbourhood on Friday, said Maj Gen Sami al-Aridi of the Iraqi special forces.
Al-Aridi said IS militants were fighting back with snipers, rocket-propelled grenades and mortar rounds. Thick black columns of smoke were seen billowing from the two areas, while dozens of civilians were seen fleeing to government-controlled areas. Shortly before noon, a suicide bomber emerged from a house in the Tahrir neighbourhood and attacked security forces, wounding four troops.
Another suicide car bomber hit the troops in Aden neighborhood afternoon, killing a soldier and wounding three others. late on Friday, a group of ISIS militants attacked the village of Imam Gharbi south of Mosul, controlling most of it for hours before airstrikes from the US-led international coalition were called in, an officer said. The clashes and multiple suicide bombings left three policemen dead, including an officer, and four others wounded, he said.
Nine ISIS fighters were killed, he added. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to brief media.