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WORLD NEWS Friday 17 March 2017

Iraq, US offer differing accounts of progress in Mosul

the resumption of fight- the militarized Federal Po- The militants captured
ing or militant attacks. The lice said his unit was waiting Mosul, Iraq’s second larg-
extremists have targeted until special forces cleared est city, when they swept
eastern Mosul with bomb- nearby neighborhoods be- across the country’s north
ings and other attacks on fore moving in to hold the in the summer of 2014.
several occasions in recent territory. Iraqi forces have gradually
weeks. He spoke near Mosul’s an- clawed back territory since
Front-line commanders tiquities museum, which then, and launched a mas-
meanwhile said progress Iraqi forces recaptured sive operation to retake
has been slow over the earlier this month. Mosul in October.
past week, with troops ad- He said Iraqi forces had Despite U.S. air support, the
vancing just a few hundred launched three coordinat- Iraqi advance has been
meters (yards) in the face ed thrusts in western Mosul, slowed by snipers, roadside
of IS car bomb attacks. hoping to overwhelm IS de- explosives, and suicide car
Lt. Ahmed Mahmoud of fenses. and truck bombs.
A Federal Police soldier shoots toward Islamic State militant po-
sitions during fighting in western Mosul, Iraq, Thursday, March
16, 2017.
(AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
S. GEORGE in Iraq, said the troops had
Associated Press recaptured “a little over a
MOSUL, Iraq (AP) — Iraqi third” of neighborhoods
and U.S. commanders of- west of the Tigris River, while
fered conflicting accounts Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool, an
Thursday of progress in Iraqi military spokesman,
western Mosul, where U.S.- said they had retaken up
backed Iraqi forces have to 60 percent, with fight-
been battling the Islamic ing still underway. Iraq de-
State group for nearly a clared eastern Mosul “fully
month as they try to retake liberated” in January.
the remainder of the city. Iraqi officials have over-
Maj. Gen. Joseph Martin, stated gains in the past,
the American commander declaring areas liberated
of coalition ground forces from IS militants only to see

Syrian activists say airstrike
on mosque kills at least 35

BEIRUT (AP) — An airstrike which along with Idlib is
on a mosque in a rebel- home to hundreds of thou-
held area of northern Syria sands of Syrians displaced
on Thursday killed at least by fighting in other areas.
35 people, first responders Russian and Syrian aircraft
and activists said. are known to operate in
The Syrian Civil Defense, the opposition-held region.
volunteer paramedics The U.S. has also struck doz-
known as the White Hel- ens of locations in north-
mets, said first responders western Syria, targeting al-
were racing to the scene Qaida-linked militants.
after the airstrike in the The airstrike came a day
Jeeneh area, near the reb- after suicide attacks in the
el-held province of Idlib. capital, Damascus, killed
It said at least 35 people at least 30 people on the
were killed. sixth anniversary of the start
The Britain-based Syrian of the Syrian conflict.
Observatory for Human The civil war has killed some
Rights said at least 42 peo- 400,000 people, wounded
ple were killed, mainly civil- more than a million and
ians. Jeeneh is in the west- displaced half the coun-
ern Aleppo countryside, try’s population.