Slutspel i Irak? ISIS och allierade erövrar Mosul

Joint Iraqi forces poised to enter Mosul to fight ISIL
Troops reach outskirts of ISIL-held city for first time since offensive began, as PM warns fighters to surrender or die.
Joint forces have reached Mosul's outskirts and are poised to battle ISIL in the group's last major urban bastion in Iraq [Reuters]Joint forces have reached Mosul's outskirts and are poised to battle ISIL in the group's last major urban bastion in Iraq [Reuters]
Iraqi special forces stood poised to enter Mosul in an offensive to drive out fighters of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group after sweeping into the last village on the city's eastern edge on Monday.

The troops said they fended off suicide car bombs without losing a soldier.

Armored vehicles drew fire from mortars and small arms as they moved on the village of Bazwaya in an assault that began at dawn, while artillery and air strikes hit ISIL, or ISIS, positions. By evening, the fighting had stopped and units took up positions less than a mile from Mosul's eastern border and about 5 miles (8 kilometres) from the centre, two weeks into the offensive to retake Iraq's second-largest city.


Why is it important to retake Mosul from ISIL?
"We will enter the city of Mosul soon and liberate it from Daesh," said Brigadier General Haider Fadhil of Iraq's special forces, using an Arabic acronym for the armed group.

He added that more than 20 ISIL fighters had been killed while his forces suffered only one light injury from a fall.

Anti-Terrorism Forces Commander, Lieutenant General Abdel Wahab al-Saadi, said in a press statement, “Troops of the Anti-Terrorism Directorate started to advance toward the village of Kokjla,” adding that, “This village is considered the first of the western areas of Mosul.”

The Iraqi media outlet stated, “Today, international coalition aircraft bombarded a large plant that was used by the ISIS to manufacture explosives and booby traps in al-Okaydat area near a train station in the east coast, in central Mosul.”

“The aerial bombardment resulted in a massive blast,” Al Sumaria added.

Anti-Terrorism Forces Commander, Lieutenant General Abdel Wahab al-Saadi, said in a press statement, “Troops of the Anti-Terrorism Directorate started to advance toward the village of Kokjla,” adding that, “This village is considered the first of the western areas of Mosul.”

troops opened fire with artillery, tank and machine guns on the fighters on the edge of the Gogjali neighbourhood.

"They have no choice. Either they surrender or they die," Abadi said.

The fighters responded with guided anti-tank missiles and small arms to block the anti-ISIL coalition's advance on Tuesday.

READ MORE: ISIL retaliates against locals by torching oil wells

Al Jazeera's Stefanie Dekker, reporting from east of Mosul, said the battle is intense as ISIL fighters are putting up stiff resistance against the approaching forces.

"We are being told by the Peshmerga forces that the black sky is the result of ISIL burning oil wells and tyres in and around Mosul," she said.

"Now we know this is one of their tactics to try to obscure their position from coalition air strikes and also to obscure the ground. The smoke is incredibly thick, so it is an intense battle."

If Iraqi forces enter Gogjali neighbourhood, it will mark the first time troops have set foot in Mosul in over two years, after they were driven out by a much smaller force of ISIL fighters in 2014.