Military official reveals Syria’s approval of Iraq’s participation

ISIS extremist groups launched an attack against the strongholds of Peshmerga militants and Popular Mobilization Forces unity on late Tuesday, as they resumed their brutal violations sentencing five civilians to death due to their attempts to escape from Mousl’s right bank. Meanwhile, Iraq’s military Chief of Staff Othman Al Ghanemi revealed that Syria approved the Iraqi participation in the military operation targeting ISIS extremists in the Syrian territories.

He added that Iraqi and Syrian military top brass discussed in Baghdad on Tuesday ways to establish a joint coordination center and enhance cooperation in the field of border security. The statement came during the meeting between Syrian military delegation, including chief of the operations department, and Chief of Staff of the Iraqi Army Lt.­Gen. Othman Al­Ghanemi led to a consensus that the two countries constitute a single combat field against the so­called Islamic State (IS) group, an Iraqi military statement said.

Accordingly, the two neighbors need to scale up information sharing and military coordination, particularly in the border areas, to push the IS to the corner," the statement quoted Al­Ghanemi as saying. The two sides agreed to work out a timetable for tightening the control of their regular troops on the border area.

In the same context, More than 1200 Islamic State militants, including snipers and leaders, have been killed since launch of offensives in western Mosul, Federal Police declared. In a statement on Tuesday, Lt.Gen. Shaker Jawdat said 27 leaders and 214 snipers were killed, while 300 square kilometers were retaken since operations began in western side of Mosul.

Federal Police troops, according to Jawdat, killed more than 1000 militants, destroyed 865 booby-trapped vehicles and defused 780 landmines since February. He indicated progress by the troops in al-Shifa district, north of the Old City, trying to reach to the Tigris River bank.

Earlier on Tuesday, Iraqi troops reported progress and announced recapturing of al-Zanjili district, located north of the Old City, which is home to the Grand Nuri al-Kabeer mosque, from which IS Supreme Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared establishing caliphate in 2014.

IS enclave has shrunk to two districts along the western banks of the Tigris river -the Old City center and the Medical City. Less than 1000 fighters are believed to be remaining in the Old City, according to commanders from the Iraqi leadership and the allied U.S.-led coalition. In January, the eastern side of Mosul was retaken after three months of battles. Another offensive was launched in February to retake the western side of the city.

A soldier was killed, five others were wounded on Tuesday in a suicide attack carried out by Islamic State militant in western Mosul, Anadolu Agency reported. “A suicide bomber blew up a booby-trapped vehicle while between army personnel, who were advancing through al-Shifa district in western Mosul, killing a soldier and injuring five others,” Cap. Tahsin Taha said.

Fierce battles, according to Taha, have been taking place since the morning in the district, which is the last one held by IS, in addition to parts of the Old City. Earlier on Tuesday, Iraqi troops reported progress and announced recapturing of al-Zanjili district, located north of the Old City.

IS enclave has shrunk to two districts along the western banks of the Tigris river -the Old City center and the Medical City. In January, the eastern side of Mosul was retaken after three months of battles. Another offensive was launched in February to retake the western side of the city.

Violence in the country has surged further with the emergence of Islamic State Sunni extremist militants who proclaimed an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014. According to a monthly count released by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq, violence and armed conflicts left 824 Iraqis dead and wounded during the month of May.