The Activities of the operations for the liberation of Nineveh continued in its second week and the Iraqi military and security units and Kurdish forces were able to the implementation of all combat missions in the operations sectors with precision and high organization and with good field ability which were able to implement all the plans and military goals that were prepared by the command of the international coalition and the participation of all affiliated states and working with this coalition of 63 countries.
The most important thing that distinguishes the second week of the battle can be outlined by the following:
1.The hordes of forces working within the eastern sector to the province of Nineveh, and within operations of the division 16 and the counter-terrorism forces of the axis of Khazar and were able to achieve its objectives and the actual control of the areas (Bartila-Tlsagv) and to tighten its circle on the center of the district Ba’shiqah and by the backing and participation of Kurdish forces under the supervision of aviation of international Alliance and control of the linking road between the center of the district of Bartila toward the outskirts of Mosul down to the area (Kokjali) , which lies on the outskirts of the first residential neighborhoods of the city.
2.The military units of the 9th division and Kurdish forces participated with them within the northeastern sector from the axis ( Alkwyr) tightened its control on the district center of the Hamdaniya and all villages of it and the presence at the junction of Hamdania towards the city center and in a distance of 8 km , which reinforced the importance of this work is to advance towards the first residential neighborhoods that are near the outskirts of the city , it is the neighborhood of ( Intisar).
- The presence offorces of Nineveh guards consisting of the volunteers of the city ‘s residents led by the former governor of Nineveh , Atheel Al-Nujaifi with the fighters of the division 16 in the northern axis were of critical importance in promoting of cohesion among military units and the volunteers of the sons of Mosul , this interaction and harmony was of great importance in reaching the goals set within this sector noting that these formations were able of the concentration on the outskirts of the city of Mosul specifically in the area of al-Shalalat (waterfalls) of Abbasid Tel and advanced towards encircling the district of the center of Tilkaif and liberation many of the villages surrounding the district .
- The most important thing that has been achieved in the last days of the end of the second week of the battle was the participation of fighters of popular crowd (PDF crowd) to enter through western axis of the sector of the Nineveh operations , a move that was expected but came out of contexts what were agreed upon and announced by Haider al – Abadi while delivering his speech at dawn on October 17 2016 when initiating to start of the military operations where he did not mention the participation of the popular crowd at the fight as well as he was surrounded by the commands of the Iraqi army and its branches noting that there was no presence of any leader or official of the leaders of the popular crowd , but Iranian pressure to the necessity of the participation in the battle over the military formations that are supported by Iran and represented by detachments of the popular crowd is to make Abadi to authorize them to move across the axis ( Al-Hadra-Tel Abth-Afar).
- The division 15 and formations of Federal police and fighters of emergency of Nineveh province were continued to advance within its targets in the southern axis extending from the junction of the district of Qayyarah and many villages and areas that were retaken and most important was to enter the district of ( Al-Shurah) and expansion in the direction of the progress toward tightening the control on the district ( Hamam Alil ) and despite the slow in this fighting axis but it was able to accomplish its tasks accurately .
- The exchanged harassment and political talks between Ankara and Baghdad were continued and took many directions represented by taking firm stand of Baghdad not to allow the Turks to participate in the operations of the liberation of Nineveh with the continuing of Turkish military and political discourse for the necessity of presence inside Iraqi territory and insist on the actual participation and when any operations of demographic change of the province especially the district of (Tal Afar) .
- The importance and the results of the last hours of the end of the second week of operations were appeared in the arrival of counter – terrorism troops into the area (Kokjali) ,the important industrial district , because it marks the beginning of supervision and access to the first residential neighborhoods of the city of Mosul and in particular neighborhoods (al-Samah-Al- khdraa apartments – the Al-Malayin Al-thalitha – Quds- Aden) .
8.The concentrated troops within the sector of the division 16 and counterterrorism forces confronted heavy fighting at the walls of the city of Mosul and in particular area (Kokjali) because of the tactics followed by the Daesh fighters in strengthening their defenses through the creation of the line oF the first fiery by planting IEDs and explosives and the use of bomb car and motorcycle and field bombardment on the places of concentrated troops .
- The announcement of theparticipation of the fighters of popular crowd has an psychological impact on the people of the province and its impact was negative so that led to the displacement of thousands of members of the villages extended from the district of Hadra – village of garihn towards the city center and leave their houses and farms and going to the destination of the city , which led to the continued progress of the crowd fighters and control over more than 65 villages and down to 5 km from the area (Tel Abth), and during their progress , they prevented the presence of any Iraqi news agency with them and insisted on this style in order to prevent the media from pursuing the actions and behavior of their fighters who committed some of the acts that had previously practiced in areas of (Ramadi-Fallujah-Saqlawiyah- karma -Baiji-Tikrit-Diyala) , they carried out acts of demolition and burning of a number of the houses of citizens and the destruction of their farms and especially the residents of the area of Graihn of the clans of(Al-Bagarah – sbaaoyen-Albobadran) .
This was the most important thing that distinguishes the days of the second week of the operations of Nineveh , Will we see a tangible progress that suggests an effective control on the left side of the city of Mosul, or will it be a word for defensive lines and surging resistance of the fighters of Daesh in determining the pathways of operations that is what we will see in the coming days and weeks.
Rawabet Center for Research and Strategic Studies