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'Gates of Hell' - Iraqi army says fighting near Tal Afar worse than Mosul

By Ahmed Rasheed

 

Members of Iraqi army are seen during the war between Iraqi army and Shi'ite Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) against the Islamic State militants in al-Ayadiya, northwest of Tal Afar, Iraq August 28, 2017. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani

 

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi forces battling to retake the small town of al-'Ayadiya where militants fleeing Tal Afar have entrenched themselves, saying on Tuesday the fighting is “multiple times worse” than the battle for Mosul’s old city.

 

Hundreds of battle-hardened fighters were positioned inside most houses and high buildings inside the town, making it difficult for government forces to make any progress, army officers told Reuters.

 

Iraqi government troops captured the town of Mosul from Islamic State in June, but only after eight months of grinding urban warfare.

 

But one Iraqi officer, Colonel Kareem al-Lami, described breaching the militants' first line of defence in al-'Ayadiya as like opening "the gates of hell".

 

Iraqi forces have in recent days recaptured almost all of the northwestern city of Tal Afar, long a stronghold of Islamic State. They have been waiting to take al-’Ayadiya, just 11 km (7 miles) northwest of the city, before declaring complete victory.

 

Tough resistance from the militants in al-'Ayadiya has forced the Iraqi forces to increase the number of air strikes, as well as bring in reinforcements from the federal police to boost units from the army, air force, Federal Police, the elite U.S.-trained Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) and some units from the Shi’ite Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).

 

Up to 2,000 battle-hardened militants were believed to be defending Tal Afar against around 50,000 government troops last week.

 

Military intelligence indicated that many militants fled Tal Afar to mount a staunch defence in al-'Ayadiya. Many motorcycles carrying the Islamic State insignia were seen abandoned at the side of the road outside al-’Ayadiya.

 

Though the exact numbers of militants on the ground in al-'Ayadiya was still unclear, al-Lami, the Iraqi Army colonel, estimated they were in their "hundreds."

 

"Daesh (Islamic State) fighters in their hundreds are taking positions inside almost every single house in the town," he said.

 

Sniper shots, mortars, heavy machine guns and anti-armoured projectiles were fired from every single house, he added.

 

"We thought the battle for Mosul's Old City was tough, but this one proved to be multiple times worst," al-Lami said. "We are facing tough fighters who have nothing to lose and are ready to die."

 

Two army officers told Reuters that no significant advances had yet been made in al-'Ayadiya. They said they were waiting for artillery and air strikes to undermine the militants power.

 

The extra Federal Police troops that were called in said late on Tuesday that they had controlled 50 percent of the town, deploying snipers on the high buildings and intensified shelling the militants headquarters with rockets, a federal police spokesman said in a statement.

 

Tal Afar became the next target of the U.S.-backed war on the jihadist group following the recapture of Mosul, where it had declared its "caliphate" over parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014.

 

(Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-08-30

[boomerangutang]

 

"Daesh (Islamic State) fighters in their hundreds are taking positions inside almost every single house in the town,"

 

I guess the Iraqi army will have to level all those houses.  Lots of civilians will die.  But how innocent are many of those civilians?  They'll say they gave comfort to Daesh, but had no choice. They were forced to and/or were related to ISIS fighters.  It's an ugly scenario, no matter what.

 

When the Iraqis win, they can look over acres of rubble, with not a green leaf for miles, and say, 'we won.'   Then later, another iron-fisted antifreeze-for-blood dictator will take over, and the cycle will continue, on and on and on.   Oh, and before during and after the endless troubles in the M.East: young women will continue to pop out babies, many of whom will grow up to be 'martyrs' shouting 'Allah Akbar' while they're blowing people up.   

[Hardie]

On 8/29/2017 at 7:48 PM, boomerangutang said:

 

I guess the Iraqi army will have to level all those houses.  Lots of civilians will die.  But how innocent are many of those civilians?  They'll say they gave comfort to Daesh, but had no choice. They were forced to and/or were related to ISIS fighters.  It's an ugly scenario, no matter what.

 

When the Iraqis win, they can look over acres of rubble, with not a green leaf for miles, and say, 'we won.'   Then later, another iron-fisted antifreeze-for-blood dictator will take over, and the cycle will continue, on and on and on.   Oh, and before during and after the endless troubles in the M.East: young women will continue to pop out babies, many of whom will grow up to be 'martyrs' shouting 'Allah Akbar' while they're blowing people up.   

 

May God have mercy on your mortal soul...

Edited August 31, 2017 by Hardie

[manarak]

don't worry about the rubble, US companies will be there to rebuild the infrastructure in exchange of huge debts and comfortable interest payments by iraqi government.

[ilostmypassword]

1 minute ago, manarak said:

don't worry about the rubble, US companies will be there to rebuild the infrastructure in exchange of huge debts and comfortable interest payments by iraqi government.

Really? You actually  believe that the Iraqi government has such  good relations with the USA? If anyone stands to benefit from rebuilding Iraq, it's Iran.

[manarak]

1 minute ago, ilostmypassword said:

Really? You actually  believe that the Iraqi government has such  good relations with the USA? If anyone stands to benefit from rebuilding Iraq, it's Iran.

do you get paid for posting nonsense?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Investment_in_post-invasion_Iraqc

 

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=129772

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/un-rebuilding-iraq-isis-mosul-low-profile-effort-trust-local-government/

[ilostmypassword]

44 minutes ago, manarak said:

do you get paid for posting nonsense?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Investment_in_post-invasion_Iraqc

 

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=129772

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/un-rebuilding-iraq-isis-mosul-low-profile-effort-trust-local-government/

I looked at all 3 links. None of them support your contention about the current situation in Iraq.

Read this about Iran's relations with Iraq

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/15/world/middleeast/iran-iraq-iranian-power.html?_r=0

[boomerangutang]

3 hours ago, Hardie said:

May God have mercy on your mortal soul...

That sounds like a judgement, but I gave it a 'confused' emoji.

 

To believe that sentence, one has to believe in the following.....

 

>>>  Existence of a God.  If so, who's God is it?  Is it part of a pantheon of Gods? 

>>>  If that particular God exists, can he, she, it 'have mercy' on anyone or anything? How does that ensue?  Is it just by saying the words?  ....tweeting it?  

>>>  The existence of soul (definition needed).  I've been told I have soul, but it's in relation to how I sing Motown songs.  Is that related?  

>>>  That soul can be 'mortal' as compared to... what alternative?  immortal?  Canned?  Tortured?  Misguided?   Filet of....?