Iraqi forces progress towards city
limits despite heavy resistance from
ISIL, as aid groups expect flood of
refugees.
Iraqi civilians have had to make the
dangerous journey fleeing the violence on foot
[Reuters]
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More than 10,000 Iraqis have fled their homes
since the start of an offensive to retake Mosul
from ISIL this month, according to the UN.
That figure is just a fraction of the
displacement that aid groups expect to see
when Iraqi forces reach the city limits and
some of the million-plus people thought to be
inside attempt to flee.
"As the fighting gets closer to more populated
areas, we're starting to see more and more
families flee the fighting," Al Jazeera's
Stefanie Dekker, reporting from Erbil in
northern Iraq, said.
"At least 1,000 people were evacuated by
[Iraqi] counterterrorism forces from their
villages," Dekker added. "These are terrifying
times for those people - their houses are
shaking, and they are being caught in the
crossfire."
And while those evacuated by the elite Iraqi
unit were guided to nearby camps, there "are
no humanitarian corridors" to manage the
thousands more being displaced, Dekker said.
"Many other people are making this terrifying
journey on foot."
But, though the number of displaced Iraqis
has increased rapidly over the past two days,
there was no sign an exodus of larger
proportions was beginning.
The aid community has been scrambling to
build camps and bring equipment to areas on
the edges of the Mosul battlefield, a vast area
where Iraqi forces are closing in on the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group
(ISIL, also known as ISIS) from the north, east
and south.
Strong resistance from ISIL has made the
battle slow and dangerous, but Iraqi and
Kurdish Peshmerga forces have retaken 90
villages and Iraqi government troops have
gotten within six kilometres of Mosul on the
eastern front.
Meanwhile, the Peshmerga have concentrated
their attack in the northeast, on the town of
Bashiqa.
US-led coalition forces have been supporting
them by hitting parts of the town with air
strikes.
The US Secretary of Defense, Ash Carter, said
on Wednesday that despite the slow progress,
there were no plans to add more troops to the
battle.
limits despite heavy resistance from
ISIL, as aid groups expect flood of
refugees.
Iraqi civilians have had to make the
dangerous journey fleeing the violence on foot
[Reuters]
Tell us what you think
Stay Informed
Subscribe to our newsletter to receive weekly
updates
SUBSCRIBE
9 Comments
More than 10,000 Iraqis have fled their homes
since the start of an offensive to retake Mosul
from ISIL this month, according to the UN.
That figure is just a fraction of the
displacement that aid groups expect to see
when Iraqi forces reach the city limits and
some of the million-plus people thought to be
inside attempt to flee.
"As the fighting gets closer to more populated
areas, we're starting to see more and more
families flee the fighting," Al Jazeera's
Stefanie Dekker, reporting from Erbil in
northern Iraq, said.
"At least 1,000 people were evacuated by
[Iraqi] counterterrorism forces from their
villages," Dekker added. "These are terrifying
times for those people - their houses are
shaking, and they are being caught in the
crossfire."
And while those evacuated by the elite Iraqi
unit were guided to nearby camps, there "are
no humanitarian corridors" to manage the
thousands more being displaced, Dekker said.
"Many other people are making this terrifying
journey on foot."
But, though the number of displaced Iraqis
has increased rapidly over the past two days,
there was no sign an exodus of larger
proportions was beginning.
The aid community has been scrambling to
build camps and bring equipment to areas on
the edges of the Mosul battlefield, a vast area
where Iraqi forces are closing in on the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group
(ISIL, also known as ISIS) from the north, east
and south.
Strong resistance from ISIL has made the
battle slow and dangerous, but Iraqi and
Kurdish Peshmerga forces have retaken 90
villages and Iraqi government troops have
gotten within six kilometres of Mosul on the
eastern front.
Meanwhile, the Peshmerga have concentrated
their attack in the northeast, on the town of
Bashiqa.
US-led coalition forces have been supporting
them by hitting parts of the town with air
strikes.
The US Secretary of Defense, Ash Carter, said
on Wednesday that despite the slow progress,
there were no plans to add more troops to the
battle.
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