Soldiers say the positions are well protected, placing the sniper behind a small hole in the wall of a building or even several rooms away from a structure’s outer wall to provide protection from strikes. Shouts erupted on the radio after one gunner caught a bullet in the shoulder and was swiftly evacuated to a medical station away from the front line. Islamic State snipers were trying to pick off the gunners as they peeked out of their machine-gun nests to give suppressing fire. As Iraqi troops’ Humvees rolled toward the outer perimeter of the Old City, a commander’s voice sputtered out of the radio. The extremists have had more than three years to prepare for the assault on the Old City and have set up what soldiers say are well thought-out sniper lanes where troops are expected to come in.Īn attack Sunday by Iraqi forces showed that Islamic State militants had chosen their sniper positions well. Here’s a look at some of them: SnipersĪn Iraqi soldier shows off an Islamic State sniper rifle in west Mosul. Islamic State has, in fact, adopted various tactics to stall the Iraqi troops’ advance. “What happens when you corner a cat? It scratches,” he said. Nasser Nayef, an Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service soldier, said the resistance would only get more difficult. But in a place like this it requires seven to one, maybe even 10 to one,” Eubank said in an interview. “In normal assault situations, you need three soldiers to every militant. special forces soldier turned aid worker who is traveling with the Iraqi army’s 9th division. The Old City’s densely packed buildings and narrow walkways require more troops than other locations to ferret out jihadis, said David Eubank, a former U.S. Security forces have estimated that about 500 militants are holed up in the Old City. The militant group on Saturday released a 34-minute video with footage of combat in Mosul and its preparations for battle.Īccording to one jihadi in the video, they would accept only one of two outcomes: “Either it is victory from Allah … or a martyrdom through which we enter paradise.” They don’t withdraw easily, unless they’re killed or wounded.” “The problem is that now it’s a suicidal enemy. Mounir Abdul Aziz, a commander with the Iraqi army’s 15th division, in a recent interview in west Mosul’s Zanjili neighborhood. “The closer we’ve gotten to the Old City the more defenses we’re seeing,” said Col. Many officials estimate it will take more than a month to clear the area. Several military officials and analysts expect the militants to make a last stand in the remaining one square mile of what had once been the crown jewel of their caliphate. Their only options would be to surrender or die. 17, the fight has apparently transformed into a so-called cauldron battle, where the militants have no chance of escape. Troops this week began the long-anticipated assault on the Old City quarter, the last district still in the extremist group’s hands.Īnd Wednesday, officials said militants destroyed the iconic Nuri mosque, the site where Islamic State leader Abu Bakr Baghdadi declared the group’s caliphate three years ago.Īs the pressure has increased around Mosul since the government offensive to retake it began Oct. During the last eight months, Iraqi forces have fought to corner Islamic State militants into an ever-dwindling area of the city of Mosul.
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