On October 17th 2016 (17/10/16) an operation was launched to liberate the city of Mosul. Since the summer of 2014 this city in northern Iraq has functioned as the de facto capital of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) within the country.
The operation was intended as a combined one. The Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) would take the lead entering and liberating the city itself. The Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga and the Iraqi Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) militias would liberate and secure the areas surrounding the city. The entire operation is being supported by the US-led coalition Combined Joint Task Force: Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTFOIR).
On January 25th 2017 (25/1/17) the operation had succeeded in liberating the entire eastern side of the city known as; "The Left Bank." This was followed by a 25 day operational pause while preparations were made to liberate the western side of Mosul known as; "The Right Bank."
That second phase began on February 19th (19/2/17). On February 23rd (23/2/17) the ISF entered western Mosul itself. This was done on two axis;
To the south the Iraqi Federal Police branch of the ISF entered via the Mosul International Airport/Ghazlani military base complex. To the south-west the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (ICTS/Golden Division) branch of the ISF entered via the Tal al-Rayyan neighbourhood.
By March 1st (1/3/17) the Federal Police who continue to be predominately Muslim had succeeded in liberating Mosul's so-called; "Fourth Bridge" across the Tigris River. They had also liberated the Fourth Bridge road and the four neighbourhoods south of that road to the Airport/Ghazlani complex.
By March 6th (6/3/17) this southern axis had advanced to liberate the government complex surrounding the al-Remah Square just south of Mosul's Old City district. This advance included liberating the Hurriyah Bridge, the Hurriyah Bridge road and al-Dindan and al-Dawasa neighbourhoods.
The Federal Police then proceeded to liberate the al-Akidat neighbourhood securing the neighbourhoods between the Fourth Bridge road, the Hurriyah Bridge road and al-Shaziani Street to the west.
Today (14/3/17) the Federal Police have advanced into the Bab al-Tob neighbourhood which is the most southern neighbourhood within the Old City district. They have also advanced only the banks of the Tigris from the Hurriyah Bridge to liberate the riverfront Corniche and the bridgehead of the Old Bridge.
By February 26th (26/2/17) the Golden Division branch of the ISF who also continue to be predominately Muslim had succeeded in liberating the Tal al-Rayyan neighbourhood. They then proceeded to advance into the Hay al-Mamum neighbourhood which sits directly north-west of the Tal al-Rayyan neighbourhood. Liberation of the Hay al-Mamum neighbourhood was completed by March 1st (1/3/17).
On March 5th (5/3/17) the Golden Division launched an operation to liberate the Tal al-Rumman neighbourhood which sits to the north of the Tal al-Rayyan neighbourhood on the outskirts of the city. This operation was completed on March 7th (7/3/17).
On March 8th (8/3/17) the Golden Division liberated the al-Moalimeen neighbourhood which sits directly north of the Tal al-Rumman neighbourhood. This saw them enter the first of several neighbourhoods which make up the New Mosul district.
Today (14/3/17) the Golden Division succeeded in liberating the al-Jadidah neighbourhood which is the most eastern of the neighbourhoods in the New Mosul district. Within the last few hours it has been confirmed that the Golden Division have liberated the central Mosul Railway station. This sits just roughly 600 metres/yards from the rampart walls that border the western side of the Old City district.
Just outside of Mosul the PMF who are also predominately Muslim along with the ISF launched an operation on February 26th (26/2/17).
The objective of this operation was to advance north from positions around the village Tal Zalat - roughly 20km (12 miles) west of Mosul - to the town of Badush which sits roughly 10km (6 miles) north-west of Mosul. This would succeed in cutting the H1 Highway to the town of Tal Afar which is held by ISIL but surrounded by the PMF before liberating Badush itself.
Control of the H1 Highway was secured on March 1st (1/3/17). By March 8th (8/3/17) both Badush prison and Badush power station had been liberated. Today (14/3/17) Badush and its surrounding villages have been declared fully liberated from ISIL. This includes securing control of the Badush road which was the last road out of Mosul. Even if it didn't go anywhere.
The Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga who are - you've guessed it - predominately Muslim have not seen combat since October 24 2016 (24/10/16) when they liberated the town of Top Zawa which is around 10km (6 miles) east of Mosul.
Although the Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga continue to defend Top Zawa and numerous other positions east of Mosul this lack of action seems to have led Iraq's Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) to get bored and pick fights amongst themselves.
Around 140km (85 miles) west of Mosul you have the now infamous town of Sinjar/Shingal. This was the first town that ISIL captured when they invaded northern Iraq back in August 2014.
The residents of Sinjar/Shingal tend to be Kurdish and followers of the Yezidi religion. Considering members of the Yezidi religion to be devil worshippers when they captured the town ISIL massacred 5,000 men and boys and kidnapped a similar number of women and girls for use as sex slaves. They forced the remaining 60,000 residents to flee up Mount Sinjar where they were left to die of thirst.
It was the atrocity of Sinjar that finally shamed the World into action against ISIL. However it fell to the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) to cross the border from Syria to climb Mount Sinjar to rescue the Yezidis.
In order to prevent further atrocities the YPG helped the residents of Sinjar to for the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS) militia. The YBS were eventually absorbed into the wider PMF structure.
The YPG and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF/QSD) coalition they helped create have long proved themselves to be the most effective anti-ISIL force within Syria. For this they are absolutely despised by ISIL's main backer - Turkish President/Prime Minister/Emperor Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Erdogan has long set out to destroy the YPG/SDF and in this effort he has found a surprising ally in the form of KRG President Masoud Barzani. At the behest of Erdogan Barzani established a force to rival the SDF known as; "The Roj Peshmerga." Numbering roughly 10,000 these are Syrian Kurds who fled as refugees to Iraq rather than fight ISIL as part of the SDF.
On March 2nd (2/3/17) Barzani ordered the Roj Peshmerga to attack the YBS in Sinjar. Following a day of clashes that saw significant casualties on both sides a delicate stand-off was negotiated. However Barzani has continued to refuse to withdraw the Roj Peshmerga from the area.
Today (14/3/17) the residents of Sinjar mounted a protest against the Roj Peshmerga's continued occupation.
The Roj Peshmerga responded by opening fire on the protesters killing one and wounding ten.
17:45 on 14/3/17 (UK date).
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