Fierce ISIL resistance as Iraqi troops move on Mosul

By-Aljazeera.

Iraqi forces launched a third front in the offensive to take back Mosul but ISIL fighters put up stiff resistance, unleashing a wave of vehicle-borne suicide bombers, while leaving a deadly trail of hidden explosive devices.

 

Iraq's government said on Thursday its soldiers advanced from the south and east, while Kurdish Peshmerga fighters moved in from the north and east on the country's second-largest city, now under control of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, also known as ISIS.

Attack helicopters strafed ISIL positions as Iraq's special forces entered the town of Bartella, 15km east of Mosul's outskirts.

"After we break them in Bartella, everywhere else they will crumble," said Major-General Fadhil Barwari.

He said ISIL had few defences in the town, which was almost completely empty of civilians. "They just left some snipers and suicide car bombs."

ISIL fighters drove at least nine suicide car and truck bombs against the advancing troops, eight of which were destroyed before reaching their targets, while the ninth struck an armoured Humvee, Lieutenant-Colonel Muntadhar al-Shimmari told The Associated Press news agency.

The deadly defence offered a glimpse at what Iraqi forces can expect as they approach ISIL's biggest urban bastion.

Al Jazeera's Imran Khan, reporting from Erbil, said as of 2100 GMT on Thursday Bartella remained in the hands of ISIL and the fighting continued.

He reported the area of Bashiqa, northeast of Mosul, also remained besieged and Iraqi forces were fighting to take villages surrounding it.

"This is a very tough fight," Khan said. "They need to push through in order to open up a road that takes them 10km into Mosul via the highway. The battle is continuing and they are getting very close towards Mosul."