Operation Featherweight: Month 36, Week 3, Day 6.

Mosul Has Been Liberated.

In the summer of 2014 the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) invaded the north-west of Iraq. This included seizing the city of Mosul which has functioned as the group's de facto capital in the country ever since.

On October 17th 2016 (17/10/17) an operation was launched to liberate Mosul from ISIL. This was intended as a combined operation.

The Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga along with the Iraqi Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) militias would take responsibility for securing the areas around Mosul. The ISF would take responsibility for liberating the city itself. 

All aspects of this operation have been supported by the US-led coalition - Combined Joint Task Force: Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTFOIR).

The first phase of the operation was to surround Mosul on three sides. It was completed on November 7th 2016 (7/11/16).

The second phase was to liberate the area of Mosul that sits to the east of the Tigris River. This eastern half is sometimes referred to as; "The Left Bank." 

This phase was begun on November 1st 2016 (1/11/16). It was completed with the liberation of all of the eastern half of Mosul on January 24th 2017 (24/1/17). 

The third phase of the operation was to liberate the area of Mosul that sits to the west of the Tigris River. This western half is sometimes referred to as; "The Right Bank." Following a short and planned paused this third phase began on February 19th (19/2/17).

As of June 17th (17/6/17) the only area of Mosul remaining under ISIL control was the Old City district.

Within the Old City ISIL had concentrated their forces at the Grand Mosque of al-Nuri located just north of the junction between al-Shaziani Street and Nineveh Street. This is where ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi publicly declared the group to be a Caliphate and he its Caliph.

The Federal Police element of the ISF actually entered the Old City district on March 21st (21/3/17). As of May 4th (4/5/16) they had surrounded the al-Nuri Mosque on three sides; The north, east and south.

On June 18th (18/6/17) the Counter Terrorism Force (CTF/Golden Division) element of the ISF joined the Federal Police in the battle for the Old City. They entered from Ibrahim al-Athir Street to the west and advanced east along Nineveh Street to the al-Nuri Mosque.

By June 21st (21/6/17) the Golden Division had come within 30 metres/yards of surrounding the al-Nuri Mosque on its western side. 

Realising they could no longer defend the Mosque ISIL pulled their forces back to the Ibrahim Sina hospital complex. ISIL then proceeded to blow up the al-Nuri Mosque to prevent anyone from having it.

On June 29th (29/6/17) the Federal Police and Golden Division elements converged on the site of the al-Nuri Mosque securing the ruins and the surrounding area. On July 2nd (2/7/17) the ISF liberated the Ibrahim Sina hospital complex.

This left ISIL in control of just a roughly 2.7kmsq (1.6 milesq) area between Nabi Jorjis Street and the Tigris River.

As of Saturday (8/7/17) the ISF had reduced this area of ISIL control to a roughly 1kmsq (0.6milesq) area between the banks of the Tigris and road east of Nabi Jorjis Street which is apparently too small to name. 

This morning the Golden Division reached the banks of the Tigris in the Midan area which sits in the middle of this area. By roughly midday (local) today the ISF had limited ISIL presence to approximately 30 fighters in a handful of buildings close to the al-Shohada Bridge to the north and the Old Bridge to the south. 

Although there is a tiny bit of tidying up left to do this represents the functional liberation of all of the city of Mosul. That liberation was declared by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi at around 12:30 (15:30 local).

Throughout the operation to liberate Mosul I have said that there have been many things wrong with the way the operation has been planned. I have also said that when the battle is won I will look at all those problems in detail. I still intend to do that.

However for now I'd like to revel in the fact that after 1,125 days of occupation and 266 days of battle

Mosul Has Been Liberated!

17:15 on 9/7/17 (UK date).