Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Further Reading

• US, Iraq, Kuwait Conduct First Trilateral Exercise in Northern Arabian Gulf NNS 31 Mar 2017 -- The trilateral exercise, the first of its kind since 2011, is part of the overall mission to strengthen solid regional partnerships in the mutual defense of the maritime domain in the Northern Arabian Gulf. The U.S.-Iraq-Kuwait trilateral exercise is a quarterly exercise that serves to develop the proficiency of all participating forces to work together in support of regional safety and security.
• Strikes Continue Against ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 31 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, conducting 18 strikes consisting of 66 engagements against ISIS targets yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• NATO delivers counter-IED equipment to Iraq NATO 31 Mar 2017 -- NATO delivered and demonstrated 160 sets of counter-IED equipment to Iraq's Ministry of Interior on Sunday (26 March 2017).
• UN chief voices support for Iraq fight against Daesh terrorists Press TV 31 Mar 2017 -- UN chief Antonio Guterres has voiced support for Iraq's ongoing fight against Daesh in the face of a humanitarian crisis following the months-long operation to recapture the strategic city of Mosul.
• In Iraq, UN chief Guterres urges more support for those who have 'suffered enormously' UN News 31 Mar 2017 -- Highlighting the lack of resources for United Nations programmes assisting those displaced by the fighting in Iraq's Mosul Secretary-General António Guterres urged the international community to do more to help the people who have "suffered enormously and go on suffering."
• Officials Provide Details of Latest Counter-ISIS Strikes in Syria, Iraq AFPS 30 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, conducting 29 strikes consisting of 78 engagements against ISIS targets yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• ISIS Hostage-Taking Caught on Video; Mosul Deaths Go To Formal Investigation AFPS 30 Mar 2017 -- A formal investigation has begun into the March 17 deaths of civilians in western Mosul, Iraq, the Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman said today.
• Iraqi army forces retake several areas in, around Mosul Press TV 30 Mar 2017 -- Iraqi government forces, backed by allied fighters from the Popular Mobilization Units, have liberated more areas in and around Mosul as they are engaged in massive operations to drive the Daesh Takfiri terrorists out of the strategic northern city.
• UN chief in Iraq to review humanitarian situation amid rising war casualties Press TV 30 Mar 2017 -- UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, to examine the humanitarian situation amid the country's intense campaign to purge Daesh Takfiri terrorists from the strategic city of Mosul.
• In Baghdad, UN chief Guterres pledges solidarity with Iraqi government and people UN News 30 Mar 2017 -- On what he called a "visit of solidarity" with Iraq, Secretary-General António Guterres today welcomed the commitment of the country's leaders to civilian protection and national dialogue, and pledged the ongoing support of the United Nations as the Government seeks to bolster aid delivery to needy populations and rebuild Iraq institutions.
• IS Militants Trap Mosul Residents as Human Shields VOA 30 Mar 2017 -- About 200 meters outside Mosul's Old City, you can hear the battle raging inside. But families, which typically flee Islamic State militants as soon as Iraqi forces get close, are no where to be seen.
• Votel Details Mosul Strike Investigation to Congressional Committee AFPS 29 Mar 2017 -- The commander of U.S. Central Command told the House Armed Services Committee today that Centcom will get to the truth of reports surrounding a March 17 coalition strike in Mosul, Iraq, targeting Islamic State of Iraq and Syria terrorists that allegedly killed as many as 200 civilians.
• US: Islamic State Sends Civilians into Buildings Rigged to Explode VOA 29 Mar 2017 -- Islamic State fighters have begun forcing civilians in Mosul into buildings rigged to explode, according to top U.S. commanders, and the new tactic could explain why scores of people died in the Iraqi city recently.
• Coalition Strikes Continue Against ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 29 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, conducting 28 strikes consisting of 70 engagements against ISIS targets yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Trump hails US troops in Iraq despite deadly Mosul raid Press TV 29 Mar 2017 -- US President Donald Trump has praised American troops for doing "very well" in Iraq, maintaining his silence on an airstrike in Mosul that killed scores of civilians earlier this month.
• Turkish FM slams decision to fly Kurdish flag in Kirkuk Press TV 29 Mar 2017 -- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has criticized a decision in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk to hoist the Kurdish flag over government buildings and public places.
• US Army Orders 150 More Humvee Combat Vehicles for Iraqi Forces Sputnik 29 Mar 2017 -- The Pentagon ordered a US defense company to produce 150 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled (HMMW) vehicles for Iraqi forces.
• Military Strikes Continue Against ISIS in Syria, Iraq AFPS 28 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, conducting 30 strikes consisting of 72 engagements against ISIS targets yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Update: air strikes against Daesh UK MOD 28 Mar 2017 -- The RAF are continuing to take the fight to Daesh in Iraq and Syria.
• Department of Defense Briefing by Gen. Townsend via Telephone from Baghdad, Iraq DoD 28 Mar 2017 -- Presenter: Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend, commander, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve
• Inherent Resolve Commander Addresses Reports of Mosul Civilian Casualties AFPS 28 Mar 2017 -- The death of innocent civilians during war is a terrible tragedy that weighs heavily on everyone, the commander of the coalition effort to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria told Pentagon reporters today.
• US on Mosul Civilian Deaths: 'A Fair Chance We Did It' VOA 28 Mar 2017 -- The commander of American forces in Iraq says the U.S. military likely played a role in an airstrike in Mosul, an attack March 17 that witnesses said killed about 100 civilians.
• Iraqi President Denies Ban on Russian Arms Supplies Sputnik 28 Mar 2017 -- Baghdad has no restrictions on purchases of weaponry from Russia, but wants to diversify sources of arms imports, Iraqi President Fuad Masum told Sputnik.
• Baghdad Still Unable to Determine New US Policy Toward Iraq - President Sputnik 28 Mar 2017 -- Iraq is still unable to determine US President Donald Trump's policy as his administration is in no hurry to assume positions while it examines issues, Iraqi President Fuad Masum told Sputnik.
• Mosul: UN rights chief urges civilian protection as sniper fire, airstrikes kill dozens UN News 28 Mar 2017 -- The top United Nations human rights official today deplored the massive loss of civilian lives in the western sections of Iraq's Mosul city in recent days due to actions by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh) terrorists as well as airstrikes by the Government forces.
• Counter-ISIS Strikes Continue in Syria, Iraq AFPS 27 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, conducting 34 strikes consisting of 80 engagements against ISIS targets yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group Conducts OIR Missions Against ISIS NNS 27 Mar 2017 -- The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (CSG) is currently launching missions against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in support of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) from the Arabian Gulf.
• Iraq, US Investigate Scores of Civilian Deaths in Mosul VOA 27 Mar 2017 -- The U.S. military says the death of civilians in Iraq's northern city of Mosul is "a terrible tragedy" and that it is investigating allegations that airstrikes from a U.S.-led coalition killed as many as 100 civilians there earlier this month.
• Inherent Resolve Strikes Target ISIS in Syria, Iraq AFPS 26 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Iraq investigates fatal US-led airstrikes in western Mosul Press TV 26 Mar 2017 -- Iraqi officials have launched an investigation into two airstrikes by the US-led coalition purportedly fighting the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group that claimed the lives of more than 200 people in the country's northern city of Mosul last week.
• Iraq, US Investigate Scores of Civilian Deaths in Mosul VOA 26 Mar 2017 -- The Iraqi military is casting doubt on reports that U.S.-led coalition airstrikes killed as many as 100 civilians sheltered earlier this month in a building in the contested city of Mosul, citing new evidence it says shows Islamic State militants rigged the site with explosives.
• U.S., Coalition Continue Strikes Against ISIS in Syria, Iraq AFPS 25 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• U.S. Strike Kills High-Profile Terrorist Leader DoD 25 Mar 2017 -- The U.S. Department of Defense has confirmed that a U.S. counter-terrorism airstrike conducted March 19 in Paktika Province, Afghanistan, resulted in the death of Qari Yasin, a well-known al Qaida terrorist leader responsible for the deaths of dozens of innocent victims, including two American service members.
• US: Coalition Forces Launched Airstrike on Mosul VOA 25 Mar 2017 -- The U.S.-led military coalition launched an airstrike that witnesses said killed more than 100 people during a battle to retake Mosul from Islamic State militants, U.S. officials acknowledged Saturday.
• Iraqi military denies halting operation to free western Mosul Press TV 25 Mar 2017 -- The Iraqi military has denied that its forces, backed by fighters from allied Popular Mobilization Units, have ceased their joint operations to flush Takfiri Daesh militants out of their last urban stronghold in the conflict-ridden country over the high rate of civilian casualties.
• UN deeply concerned over US-led airstrikes on Mosul Press TV 25 Mar 2017 -- The United Nations has expressed deep concerns over reports that more than 200 people lost their lives in two airstrikes by the US-led coalition purportedly fighting the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul earlier this week.
• Military Strikes Continue Against ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 24 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Iraqi forces take control over Daesh command center in western Mosul Press TV 24 Mar 2017 -- Iraqi government forces have managed to establish complete control over a command center run by the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in central Mosul as the country's armed forces battle to recapture the country's second largest city and drive the extremists out of their last urban stronghold in Iraq.
• Iraq: U.S. Conventional Weapons Destruction Efforts Help Defeat ISIS US Dept. of State 23 Mar 2017 -- The United States has invested more than $333 million in Iraq since 2003 toward the clearance and safe disposal of landmines, unexploded ordnance (UXO), and securing excess conventional weapons and munitions.
• Counter-ISIS Strikes Continue in Syria, Iraq AFPS 23 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Hashd al-Sha'abi begins aid delivery to liberated Mosul areas Press TV 23 Mar 2017 -- Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), also known as Hashd al-Sha'abi, have begun delivering humanitarian aid to the Mosul districts recaptured from Daesh terrorists, as government forces push deeper into the city's western half.
• Statement by Ministers of the Global Coalition: Meeting on the Defeat of ISIS US Dept. of State 22 Mar 2017
• Remarks at the Ministerial Plenary for the Global Coalition Working to Defeat ISIS US Dept. of State 22 Mar 2017
• The Global Coalition - Working to Defeat ISIS US Dept. of State 22 Mar 2017
• Military Strikes Continue Against ISIS in Syria, Iraq AFPS 22 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Daesh executed hundreds of detainees, buried bodies in Mosul mass grave: HRW Press TV 22 Mar 2017 -- Human Rights Watch (HRW) says the Daesh terrorist group has executed possibly hundreds of detainees in Iraq's northern city of Mosul and buried them in a mass grave that could be the largest one discovered in the country so far.
• Iraqi Army Liberates Over 60% of Western Mosul From Daesh Terrorists Sputnik 22 Mar 2017 -- The Iraqi government troops liberated more than 60 percent of western Mosul from the Daesh terror group, outlawed in numerous countries, local media reported on Wednesday, citing spokesman for the Iraqi Joint Special Operations Command Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasul.
• Iraqi forces gain more ground against Daesh terrorists in Mosul Press TV 21 Mar 2017 -- Iraqi government forces have made more territorial gains in Mosul as they are battling in joint operations with allied fighters to flush Daesh Takfiri militants out of their last urban stronghold in the crisis-hit Arab country.
• Inherent Resolve Strikes Target ISIS in Syria, Iraq AFPS 21 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Update: air strikes against Daesh UK MOD 21 Mar 2017 -- The RAF are continuing to take the fight to Daesh in Iraq and Syria.
• US, Iraqi Leaders 'Confident' of Islamic State Defeat VOA 21 Mar 2017 -- U.S. President Donald Trump and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi praised the joint battle their countries are waging against Islamic State, as they held their first in-person talks Monday at the White House.
• U.S., Coalition Continue Strikes Against ISIS AFPS 20 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Iraqis Closing In On Symbolic Mosque, Strategic Bridge AFPS 20 Mar 2017 -- Iraqi forces are advancing into the old city of Mosul as they move closer to the Iron Bridge that will take them to the modern city center, Pentagon press operations director Navy Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters today.
• Iraqi PM: No coalition, Iranian forces present in war on Daesh IRNA 20 Mar 2017 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has brushed off claims that tens of thousand international coalition and Iranian forces are involved in war against Daesh.
• UN aid 'pushed to limits' as 320,000 more civilians may flee west Mosul UN News 20 Mar 2017 -- Humanitarian agencies are bracing for the possibility that in coming weeks about 300,000 to 320,000 civilians may flee the western districts of Iraqi's Mosul city where Government forces are fighting to oust the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh) terrorists, a senior United Nations aid official in the country has said.
• Thousands Flee Mosul Daily as IS Battle Intensifies VOA 20 Mar 2017 -- Every day, thousands of people are fleeing Mosul, Iraq – many running as the walls of their homes collapse.
• Abadi, Trump Set to Discuss Islamic State Battle VOA 20 Mar 2017 -- U.S. President Donald Trump will host Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi for talks Monday that are likely to include the ongoing offensive to recapture the key northern city of Mosul from Islamic State militants.
• Officials Provide Details of Latest Counter-ISIS Strikes in Syria, Iraq AFPS 19 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Iraqi forces retake 4 Mosul neighborhoods from Daesh Press TV 19 Mar 2017 -- Iraqi government forces have managed to liberate four more neighborhoods in the country's second largest city of Mosul as they engage in joint operations with allied fighters to expel Takfiri Daesh militants out of their last urban stronghold in the country.
• Iraqi Forces Push Forward In Mosul As Residents Flee Fierce Fighting RFE/RL 19 Mar 2017 -- Iraqi forces engaged in fierce combat with Islamic State (IS) militants outside Mosul's Old City on March 19 as they pressed forward in a bid to recapture the western part of the city.
• Iraqi Forces in Mosul Close in on Key IS Mosque VOA 19 Mar 2017 -- Iraqi helicopters on Sunday fired rockets near a key mosque in the contested city of Mosul, as ground forces closed in on the site where Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a self-styled caliphate in 2014.
• Trump's Daesh Strategy: Just Follow Obama's Plan but 'Try Harder' Sputnik 18 Mar 2017 -- US President Donald Trump's plan to defeat Daesh (ISIS/ISIL) looks much like that of Barack Obama, according to officials familiar with the matter. It also seems that Trump is unlikely to deliver on his election promise to consider joining forces with Russia in Syria.
• Counter-ISIS Strikes Continue in Syria, Iraq AFPS 18 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Coalition Strikes Hit ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 17 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Daesh under complete siege in western Mosul: Iraqi Defense Ministry Press TV 17 Mar 2017 -- The Daesh Takfiri terrorists are completely under siege by Iraqi forces in the west of Mosul, the terrorists' last stronghold in the Arab country.
• Iraqi prime minister calls for reduction of US troops after Daesh defeat Press TV 17 Mar 2017 -- Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has called on the US to reduce its military presence in Iraq as Washington has begun a surge of troops in the face of Daesh terrorists facing a final rout in the country.
• Counter-ISIS Strikes Target Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 16 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Over 150,000 Iraqis flee amid operations to liberate western Mosul Press TV 16 Mar 2017 -- Iraq says more than 150,000 people have fled fighting in and around the western side of Mosul since security forces launched an operation to retake the area from Daesh terrorists.
• Relief operations in western Mosul reaching 'breaking point' as civilians flee hunger, fighting - UN UN News 16 Mar 2017 -- The United Nations and its humanitarian partners in Iraq are scrambling to get emergency sites ready amidst a mass exodus from West Mosul, with nearly 700,000 civilians still living in the city where Iraqi forces are fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh), according to the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the country.
• UN: Mass Exodus from Western Mosul Possible VOA 16 Mar 2017 -- The United Nations said Thursday it is preparing for a "mass exodus" from the western part of the Iraqi city of Mosul, as military operations intensify to dislodge Islamic State terrorists.
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Col. Dorrian via teleconference from Baghdad, Iraq DoD 15 Mar 2017
• Military Strikes Continue Against ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 15 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• OIR Spokesman: Iraqi Forces Remain Resolute in Counter-ISIS Fight AFPS 15 Mar 2017 -- Momentum is on the side of the Iraqi security forces that are imposing their will on Islamic State of Iraq and Syria fighters despite tactics the enemy continues to employ to keep Mosul in their grip, the spokesman for Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve told Pentagon reporters today.
• Iraqi forces liberate Mosul's 'Iron Bridge' from Daesh Press TV 15 Mar 2017 -- Amid battles to liberate the western side of Mosul from Daesh, Iraqi forces retake control of a third bridge crossing over Tigris River which divides the northern city into two parts.
• Islamic State Deploys Ideological Booby Trap As It Retreats RFE/RL 15 Mar 2017 -- The coalition battling to take the Iraqi city of Mosul from the extremist group Islamic State (IS) is closing in. Earlier this year, coalition forces captured eastern Mosul (the city is bisected by the Euphrates River) and are now squeezing the city's western half.
• Kurdistan Worker's Party Establishes Military Base Near Iraq's Refugee Camp Sputnik 15 Mar 2017 -- Rizgar Mihemed, the head of the administration of the Iraqi city of Mahmur, spoke with Sputnik Turkey in an interview revealing that the Kurdistan Worker's Party has established a military base in Mahmur.
• 90% of Mosul Retaken from Daesh - Police Chief Sputnik 15 Mar 2017 -- On Tuesday the chief of Iraq's Federal Police force announced that 90 percent of central Mosul's Old City had been retaken by security forces, signaling the reclamation of a highly-desired area in the fight against Daesh.
• Counter-ISIS Strikes Continue in Syria, Iraq AFPS 14 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Battle for Mosul is in last stage, Iraqi PM Abadi says Press TV 14 Mar 2017 -- Iraqi Prime Minster Haidar al-Abadi says that the military operation aimed at liberating west Mosul from Daesh is "in its last stage."
• Iraqi forces recapture Mosul's train station, reach Great Mosque Press TV 14 Mar 2017 -- Iraqi forces have managed to retake the train station in the flashpoint northern city of Mosul and surround the Great Mosque as they continue to purge Daesh terrorists from the city's western section.
• Clashes Between Rival Iraqi Kurds Fuel Fears of Proxy War VOA 14 Mar 2017 -- Fears are growing the mountainous Iraqi Sinjar region is becoming the focal point of a proxy conflict in the region.
• Iraqis Fight for Western Mosul in Tough Battle Against ISIS AFPS 13 Mar 2017 -- Iraqi security forces are battling Islamic State of Iraq and Syria fighters in western Mosul's government center complex in its operation to liberate their country's second-largest city from ISIS control, Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters today.
• Military Strikes Continue Against ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 13 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Update: air strikes against Daesh UK MOD 13 Mar 2017 -- The RAF are continuing to take the fight to Daesh in Iraq and Syria.
• Iraqi forces recapture two more neighborhoods in western Mosul Press TV 13 Mar 2017 -- Iraqi army soldiers, backed by fighters from pro-government Popular Mobilization Units, have managed to liberate two more neighborhoods in the western flank of Mosul as the Daesh Takfiri terrorists are trapped inside the city.
• Counter-ISIS Strikes Continue in Syria, Iraq AFPS 12 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, conducting 22 strikes consisting of 82 engagements against ISIS targets yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Dunford: Americans Should Be Proud of Role U.S. Troops Play in Iraq, Syria AFPS 12 Mar 2017 -- Indigenous Iraqi and Syrian forces have made tremendous progress taking the fight to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, and Americans should be very proud of the role played in the effort by a small number of U.S. troops, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said during an interview.
• One-third of western Mosul retaken from Daesh: Iraqi Cmdr. Press TV 12 Mar 2017 -- A senior commander says Iraqi forces have so far managed to liberate over a third of western Mosul from the grip of Daesh terrorists in their operation to purge the city of Takfiri elements.
• Number of Iraqis Fleeing Western Mosul Reaches Nearly 100,000 Sputnik 12 Mar 2017 -- The number of people fleeing the western Mosul has reached nearly 100,000, Iraqi Minister of Displacement and Migration Jassim Mohammed Al-Jaaf said Sunday as the operation to recapture the city's western areas from Daesh terrorists continued.
• US Envoy Says IS 'Trapped' in Mosul VOA 12 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and Iraqi authorities say Islamic State fighters are surrounded and contained in western Mosul, after Iraqi troops on Sunday seized control of the last road leading out of the city.
• Officials Release Details of Latest Counter-ISIS Strikes in Syria, Iraq AFPS 11 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, conducting 28 strikes consisting of 111 engagements against ISIS targets yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Iraq's Hashd al-Sha'abi fighters uncover mass grave of hundreds near Mosul Press TV 11 Mar 2017 -- Iraqi fighters from pro-government Popular Mobilization Units have found a mass grave at a detention facility near the northern city of Mosul, which contained the remains of hundreds of people killed by Daesh Takfiri terrorists.
• Coalition Strikes Continue in Syria, Iraq AFPS 10 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, conducting 22 strikes consisting of 82 engagements against ISIS targets yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Iraqi forces achieve fresh territorial gains in, near Mosul Press TV 10 Mar 2017 -- Iraqi government forces have registered more territorial gains in Mosul as they continue their joint operations with fighters from allied Popular Mobilization Units to push Takfiri Daesh terrorists out of their last urban stronghold in the Arab country.
• Peshmerga Confirm Plans for Iraqi Army Overhaul Don't Involve Kurdistan Forces Sputnik 10 Mar 2017 -- An Iraqi government proposal to allow armed militias to become officially affiliated with the Iraqi armed forces does not concern the Peshmerga, whose independence is guaranteed by the constitution, Jibar Yawir, Secretary-General of the Kurdistan regional government's Peshmerga Ministry, told Sputnik.
• Iraqi Forces Liberate Amle District in West Mosul From Daesh Sputnik 10 Mar 2017 -- Iraqi army liberated district in southwestern Mosul from militants of the Daesh, according to media reports.
• Counter-ISIS Strikes Continue in Syria, Iraq AFPS 09 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, conducting 22 strikes consisting of 82 engagements against ISIS targets yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Bombs kill 26 near Tikrit as Iraqi forces battle Daesh in Mosul Press TV 09 Mar 2017 -- Bomb attacks at a wedding party near the central Iraqi city of Tikrit have claimed the lives of more than two dozen people as government forces push ahead with their battle to retake the strategic northern city of Mosul from Takfiri Daesh terrorists.
• US, Iraq Working on 5-Year 'Enhanced Cooperation' Plan Sputnik 09 Mar 2017 -- CENTCOM commander Gen. Joseph Votel said that the United States and Iraq were working on a five-year plan to keep US forces in Iraq after the defeat of Daesh.
• Officials Provide Details of Latest Counter-ISIS Strikes AFPS 08 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• ISIS on Trajectory Toward Lasting Defeat, Defense Official Says AFPS 08 Mar 2017 -- Despite a long road ahead for the U.S.-led coalition in its fight to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, the enemy is being degraded by every measure and is on a trajectory to lasting defeat, a defense official told reporters on background today.
• Iraqi Army Recaptures Jail IS Used for Executions VOA 08 Mar 2017 -- Iraqi soldiers on Wednesday recaptured a prison outside Mosul that had been controlled by Islamic State jihadists and reportedly used for hundreds of executions, the Iraqi military said.
• Iranian Official Says 2,100 Fighters Killed In Syria, Iraq RFE/RL 07 Mar 2017 -- More than 2,000 fighters sent by Iran have been killed in conflicts in Syria and Iraq, according to the head of the Iranian veterans' affairs office.
• Iraqi Air Force cmdr.: Iran continues to be Iraq's number one supporter IRNA 07 Mar 2017 -- Commander of Iraqi Air Force General Hamid al-Maliki said on Tuesday that Iran continues to be Iraq's number one supporter in the fight against terrorism.
• Iraq's prime minister visits troops in Mosul airport Press TV 07 Mar 2017 -- Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has paid an unannounced visit to troops deployed in the north of the country amid a fierce battle to recapture the second largest city of Mosul.
• 'Iraqi elite forces retake government building in Mosul' Press TV 07 Mar 2017 -- Iraqi special forces have reportedly reclaimed the government's headquarters in the northern city of Mosul, the last urban area controlled by Daesh in Iraq.
• UN agency expanding camps around Mosul to cope with surge in displacement UN News 07 Mar 2017 -- Amid a spike in new displacement triggered by the Iraqi military offensive to recapture western Mosul, the United Nations refugee agency is setting up new camps and expanding existing ones to shelter new arrivals, many of whom are visibly traumatized, hungry and dehydrated.
• U.S., Coalition Continue Strikes Against ISIS AFPS 06 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• 200k civilians displaced since Mosul operation started: IOM Press TV 06 Mar 2017 -- A high-profile NGO says more than 200,000 civilians have been displaced since the onset of the operation to liberate the northern Iraqi city of Mosul from Takfiri Daesh terrorists.
• Counter-ISIS Strikes Continue in Syria, Iraq AFPS 05 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Iraqi forces launch fresh push in western Mosul battle Press TV 05 Mar 2017 -- Iraqi forces have started a new push toward Mosul's old city center as they press ahead with their operation to purge the western bank of the Tigris River of Daesh terrorists.
• Iraqi Forces Launch New Push Toward Mosul Old City Center RFE/RL 05 Mar 2017 -- Iraqi forces have attacked four Islamic State-held areas in Mosul, the latest push in a battle that has displaced more than 45,000 people since it began in October last year.
• Military Operation in West Mosul Displaces Over 45,000 in More Than Week Sputnik 05 Mar 2017 -- Over 45,000 people have fled western Mosul in Iraq in past few days as the coalition-backed government campaign to retake the Iraqi city gains momentum, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Sunday.
• 15 Hospitalized as Details of Alleged Mosul Chemical Attack Emerge VOA 05 Mar 2017 -- "We can't sleep at night because it's hard to breath and our eyes are watering," says Yunis Mohammad Hassan, a father of three, outside his Mosul home in the Noor area.
• Military Strikes Continue Against ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 04 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Mosul chemical attack believed to be carried out by Daesh amounts to war crime: UN Press TV 04 Mar 2017 -- The UN says the recent chemical attack in Mosul, believed to be the first by the Daesh terrorist group in the northern Iraqi city, could amount to a war crime.
• 14 civilians killed in US-led coalition airstrikes in Mosul Press TV 04 Mar 2017 -- More than a dozen Iraqi civilians have lost their lives in the US-led coalition airstrikes in the eastern part of Mosul, which was cleared of Daesh terrorists by Iraq's armed forces in January.
• UN: Alleged Chemical Attack In Mosul Would Be War Crime RFE/RL 04 Mar 2017 -- The United Nations has warned that the alleged use of chemical weapons in Iraq's Mosul, if confirmed, would be a war crime and a violation of international humanitarian law.
• Inherent Resolve Strikes Target ISIS in Syria, Iraq AFPS 03 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Iraqi forces regain control of another western Mosul neighborhood Press TV 03 Mar 2017 -- Iraqi government forces have managed to liberate another neighborhood in Mosul from the clutches of the Daesh Takfiri terrorists as they try to push the extremists out of their last urban stronghold in the country.
• Daesh terrorists launch chemical attack on eastern Mosul: Cmdr. Press TV 03 Mar 2017 -- A high-ranking Iraqi military commander says Takfiri Daesh terrorists have used internationally-banned chemical weapons in a recent attack on the liberated areas in eastern Mosul as government forces and their allies are pushing to expel the extremists out of the country's second largest city.
• Kurds' Peshmerga Clash With Yazidi Militia in Western Iraq Sputnik 03 Mar 2017 -- The so-called Rojava Peshmerga group attacked forces of the Yazidi Shingal Resistance Units (YBS) in the town of Knanesor, located in the western Iraqi Shingal district near the city of Mosul.
• Iraq: 15,000 children flee west Mosul over past week as battle intensifies, says UNICEF UN News 03 Mar 2017 -- Some 15,000 children have over the previous week fled the western section of Iraq's Mosul city where fighting between the Government forces and terrorists is intensifying by the day, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has reported.
• Officials Provide Details of Latest Counter-ISIS Strikes in Syria, Iraq AFPS 02 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• US, Iraq, Pakistan Conduct VBSS Exercise NNS 02 Mar 2017 -- The U.S. Coast Guard Patrol Force South West Asia (PATFORSWA) Maritime Engagement Team (MET) with Iraqi and Pakistani naval officers are conducting a multilateral visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) exercise at Naval Support Activity Bahrain, Feb. 26-March 9.
• Iraqi army force thwart Daesh assault in western Mosul Press TV 02 Mar 2017 -- Iraqi government forces have frustrated an attack by Takfiri Daesh militants in Mosul as they press ahead with their operation to drive the terrorists out of their last urban stronghold in the Arab state.
• Iraq: Civilian casualty figure for February tops 1,000 – UN reports UN News 02 Mar 2017 -- More than 1,000 civilians were killed or injured last month in Iraq, the United Nations mission in the country has announced.
• Military Strikes Continue Against ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 01 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Gen. Townsend via teleconference from Baghdad, Iraq DoD 01 Mar 2017 -- Presenter: Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend, commander, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve
• Iraqi Forces Retake Mosul Airport, Inherent Resolve Commander Says AFPS 01 Mar 2017 -- Iraqi security forces have taken back Mosul International Airport in Iraq after a couple days of difficult fighting to liberate western Mosul from control of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, the commander of Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve said today.
• Turkish Forces Destroy 16 PKK Targets in Northern Iraq Sputnik 01 Mar 2017 -- Turkish military destroyed 16 Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants' targets in the north of Iraq, media reported Wednesday, citing the Turkish General Staff.
• Iraqi forces regain control over main road out of Mosul Press TV 01 Mar 2017 -- Iraqi government forces have managed to establish full control over the last main exit out of the northern city of Mosul amid a new joint operation with allied Popular Mobilization Units to drive the extremists out of their last urban stronghold in the country.
• At least 8,000 civilians displaced by fighting in west Mosul Press TV 01 Mar 2017 -- The United Nations says some 8,000 people have fled west Mosul since Iraqi forces launched their operations to rid that part of the city from Daesh terrorists.
• Iraqi Forces Advance to West Mosul Along 3 Axes, Prepare for Tough Fight Sputnik 01 Mar 2017 -- The Operation Inherent Resolve commander noted that the tactic has proven to be effective because it overwhelms the enemy.
• Terrorists Take Flight! Daesh Chief Al-Baghdadi Allegedly Orders Retreat in Iraq Sputnik 01 Mar 2017 -- Daesh leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has acknowledged the terrorist group's defeat in Iraq, urging his supporters to take refuge in the country's mountainous regions, independent Iraqi news network Alsumaria reported.