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Iraqi Forces Seek to Link West Mosul with East | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Iraqi armored vehicles advance toward the Dindan neighborhood in western Mosul on February 25. AFP


Mosul – Iraqi forces were close from capturing the fourth bridge in the southernmost of Mosul aiming to link the west and east banks of the Tigris River and allow troops to bring in reinforcements and supplies for fighting ISIS in the western part of the city.

On Sunday, security forces had engaged in fierce battles in the west of Mosul. An official at the Iraqi Rapid Response forces said his forces were now on their way to the fourth bridge, one of five bridges spanning the Tigris and linking the two sides of Mosul.

“We had an important operation this morning to move towards the bridge,” Colonel Falah al-Wabdan of the Iraqi Rapid Response forces told AFP.

“We have moved past a large berm constructed by ISIS with tunnels underneath,” he said, adding: “It is very important because if we take it, engineering units… will be able to throw a bridge across the left bank so we can move supplies and ammunition from the battle field.”

Also on Sunday, Raed Shaker Jawdat, commander of Iraqi federal police told Asharq Al-Awsat that his forces had dismantled an explosive wheel loaded with a disc containing 1000-liter of poisonous gas, and planted near the Mosul airport.

Another official said ISIS sent a large number of suicide bombers to block the advancement of the Iraqi forces towards al-Dawassah district near the old city.

Meanwhile, coalition and Iraqi warplanes were striking ISIS positions in the city to remove explosive devices preventing the progression of security forces towards the center.

And while Iraqi forces advanced towards the southwestern center of Mosul, thousands of displaced residents arrived on Sunday to camps in the south of the city.

Iraqi Minister of Immigration Jassem Mohammed al-Jaf said in a statement that teams linked to his ministry were receiving displaced residents coming from al-Maamoun district.