MOSUL: Iraqi forces said Tuesday they had seized the main government offices in Mosul and its famed museum as they made steady progress in their battle to retake the city’s west from jihadists. Supported by the US-led coalition bombing IS in Iraq and Syria, Iraqi forces began their push against west Mosul on February 19. They also seized control of the Al-Hurriyah bridgehead, it said, in a step towards potentially relinking west Mosul with the city’s east, which government forces seized earlier in the offensive. Officers said Tuesday security forces had also managed to recapture the Mosul museum, where the jihadists destroyed priceless artefacts, releasing a video of their rampage in February 2015. The fighting in west Mosul has forced more than 51,000 people to flee their homes, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Source: Manila Times March 08, 2017 03:19 UTC