October 2016: Phase One and initial advances conducts a fire mission at
Qayyarah Airfield West, in support of the Iraqi security forces' push toward Mosul, 17 October 2016. On 16 October 2016, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared the beginning of the assault to recapture the city of Mosul. The Peshmerga in the Khazir region, east of Mosul, started the ground assault by advancing on ISIL-held villages from three fronts, while Iraqi security forces advanced from the south. Iraqi troops advanced on the
Bartella area east of Mosul while ISIL fighters fired mortars at Peshmerga. The President of KRG,
Massoud Barzani, said that Peshmerga and Iraqi government fighters retook from ISIL on the first day of fighting. Iraqi government officials reported inflicting severe casualties and destruction of equipment on ISIL forces in the Hamdaniya district southeast of Mosul. Wounded ISIL fighters reported to have been transferred to their de facto capital
Raqqa, in Syria, for medical aid. Mosul's "Freedom Bridge" was destroyed in the fighting. infantry fighting vehicles to tactical assembly areas with assistance from the 313th Movement Control Battalion forward element, on 18 October 2016, near
Makhmur, Iraq On 18 October, the Iraqi government declared to have captured 20 villages from ISIL within 24 hours of fighting. On the southern front, Iraqi troops retook several villages near
Qayyarah, including al-Sirt, Bajwaniya, al-Hud and al-Mashraf, and parts of the al-Hamdaniya District southeast of Mosul.
Iraqi Federal Police also regained control of 56 oilfields in the Qayyarah district. According to reports, the Peshmerga met little resistance on the eastern front, while Iraqi and PMF fighters coming from the south faced tougher resistance from ISIL. Iraqi Army forces stormed Qaraqosh (
Bakhdida), once the largest Assyrian town in Iraq, and fought with ISIL fighters who remained holed up, while also Hammam al-'Alil. The Iraqi and Peshmerga advance had been slowed down during the same day due to suicide bombers, roadside
IEDs and oil fires, and the allied forces were carrying out street-by-street search operations to clear out ISIL forces from the outskirts of Mosul city. The Peshmerga later paused their advance while the Iraqi Army continued its advance. At this point in time, the coalition strategy was reported to be to encircle Mosul completely, after which Iraqi troops would advance into the city center. As the Iraqi Army advanced on Mosul, rebellion against ISIL broke out in the city, though ISIL forces put down the revolts within a couple of days. The Iraqi Army resumed fighting on 19 October, surrounding Qaraqosh, while ISIL deployed snipers and car bombs. Lt. Gen. Qassim al-Maliki declared that Iraqi forces had captured 13 villages north and northeast of Al Quwayr, south of Mosul, and the Iraqi Army was reported to be within of the outskirts of Mosul city. The village of Kani Harami was captured after heavy fighting in the morning with the militants retreating to Abbasiyah. A total of 22 towns were reported to have been captured, with 12 by the Peshmerga and 10 by the ISF. Nofal Hammadi, governor of the
Nineveh Governorate, declared that 40% of the province had been retaken from ISIL. The offensive to retake the town of
Bashiqa northeast of Mosul was delayed due to lack of logistical support. The international coalition's commander Gary Voelsky also stated that a majority of ISIL leaders were fleeing Mosul, and predicted that foreign fighters would form the majority of militants remaining in the city. The fighting intensified on 20 October. A large convoy of
Golden Division arrived at positions retaken by the Peshmerga forces, and they also captured
Bartella. According to Maj. Gen. Maan al-Saadi of the Iraqi Army, 200 ISIL fighters were killed in the fight for Bartella. During the day, the Peshmerga captured six villages, including four on the Bashiqa front line and two on the Nawaran front, while entering another four villages. The Peshmerga briefly captured the village of Tiz Khirab but were forced to withdraw. On the southern front, Iraqi forces resumed their push north after a brief pause and recaptured six villages east of
Qayyarah. The group was also reported to be digging trenches to slow the advancement of coalition troops. On 21 October, ISIL launched multiple attacks in
Kirkuk to divert military resources. Multiple explosions and gun battles were reported in the city, mostly centered on a government compound, and a senior Peshmerga commander said that the attackers had entered by posing as
IDPs. Meanwhile, Iraqi government forces reported that they had retaken 2 more villages south of Mosul and killed 15 terrorists. town on fire On 22 October, Iraqi police declared that ISIL's attack on Kirkuk had been repelled and that all the attackers had been killed or had blown themselves up. A reporter of
Türkmeneli TV also died in the attack. while at least seven journalists were wounded. On the same day, Iraqi forces launched a large-scale offensive began to retake the Assyrian town of Bakhdida, which had remained under ISIL control after several days of fighting. Iraqi troops also advanced on the town of
Tel Keppe, to the north of Mosul. On 23 October, the Peshmerga General Command also stated that the Peshmerga had cordoned off eight villages and had secured a significant stretch of the Bashiqa-Mosul highway, coming within of the city. ISIL increased its counter-attacks in order to distract the pro-government advancing towards Mosul. In addition to the attack on Kirkuk on 21 October, ISIL fighters struck
Ar-Rutbah in
Anbar Province, as well as
Sinjar. By 24 October, nearly 800 ISIL militants had been killed while 78 villages were reported to have been retaken from the group. The attack on Kirkuk was also brought to an end on the same day, with 74 militants being killed and others, including the leader of the attackers, being arrested. On 25 October, Iraqi Special Operations Forces came within of the city and paused their advance to wait for reinforcements. On 26 October, Iraqi forces faced heavy resistance from ISIL as they attempted to clear the militants from villages in Shora, south of Mosul. Hundreds of ISIL suicide bombers were also reported to have been sent from Syria to defend Mosul. Meanwhile, Peshmerga forces captured the village of Derk, northeast of Mosul, where they discovered a large ISIL tunnel containing a large cache of weapons. On 27 October, the head of the
United States Central Command, Gen.
Joseph Votel, estimated that 800–900 ISIL militants had been killed in the battle. On 28 October, Iraqi forces recaptured the town of Al-Shura, south of Mosul. while joint Iraqi-Peshmerga forces captured Fadiliya, which lies just four kilometres away from Mosul. Meanwhile, the UN stated that ISIL had taken tens of thousands of civilians to use as human shields in Mosul, including at least 5,000 families from around Al-Shura and 2,210 families from the Nimrud area of Hamdaniya. Those who refused to go were executed. On 29 October, the PMF launched an offensive towards the west of Mosul, with the aim of capturing the villages west of Mosul and reaching the town of
Tal Afar, in order to prevent ISIL fighters from retreating into neighboring Syria or reinforcing their defense of Mosul. The PMF had been tasked with recapturing around 14,000 square kilometres of territory from ISIL, though they stated that they would not enter Mosul city itself. Meanwhile, the Iraqi Army and PMF captured 15 villages from ISIL. and they declared to have captured 500 square kilometres of territory since the operation began. On the same day, the PMF stated that they had captured eight more villages to the southwest of Mosul. On 31 October, a major Iraqi operation was launched on Bazwaya, to the east of Mosul, capturing the town along with several nearby villages, after coming under heavy fire. After capturing Bazwaya, ISOF were less than from Mosul. Several Iraqi military officials stated that ISOF would soon begin its push into Mosul city. Meanwhile, the U.S.-led coalition stated that they would target ISIL militants from the air if they attempted to flee the city, though the U.S. Department of Defense stated that hundreds of militants were believed to have already escaped. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi meanwhile called on ISIL fighters in Mosul to surrender. Airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition targeted ISIL positions, and ISIL started tire fires to reduce visibility. The Golden Division entered Mosul's city limits that afternoon, engaging in street fights with ISIL militants. The Gogjali district was reported to be under Iraqi government control by the evening, while the Iraqi Army's 9th Division and 3rd Brigade had entered the neighborhood of Judaydat al-Mufti on the left bank. The
Iraqi war media office stated that Iraqi government forces suffered no casualties during the assault. Meanwhile, Iraqi government forces captured two villages on the northern front. though Iraqi troops were forced to hold their positions in eastern Mosul, as poor weather conditions were limiting visibility for drones and aircraft, preventing them from advancing. Meanwhile, eight militants were killed in Mosul by Iraqi forces. On the same day, the PMU announced that it had captured 115 square kilometres that day after fierce fighting with ISIL, including six villages, and had surrounded three ISIL-held villages. They also claimed that they had reached a highway to the southwest of Mosul and had cut the first supply line to Mosul from
Raqqa. while the Iraqi Federal Police captured two villages in the south. while Mosul's
Fifth Bridge, located over the Tigris river, was destroyed by airstrikes. U.S. and Iraqi authorities stated the offensive was "ahead of schedule", while Brigadier Saad Maan stated that the priority of protecting civilian lives and infrastructure would possibly slow their advance into the city. On 4 November, the Iraqi Army recaptured six districts in Mosul, including 90% of the eastern district of al-Zahra. However, they were forced to withdraw from Karama district because of heavy resistance. Clashes continued into 5 November, with clashes being the most intense in the neighborhood of al-Bakr. The eastern neighborhoods of Kirkukli and al-Zahra in the east and Al-Tahrir in the northeast were under Iraqi control, while the southern neighborhoods of Qudes and Karama reportedly remained under ISIL control. Fighting resumed in the Gogjali district, after ISIL militants emerged from tunnels during the night. The Iraqi Army continued its assault on three fronts to
Hamam al-Alil, They also stormed the Al-Sada district, their first entrance into northern Mosul. On 7 November, the Peshmerga, backed by coalition airstrikes, launched an offensive from three fronts in the morning to take the town of
Bashiqa, which was still held by ISIL and had been surrounded for about two weeks. About 100 to 200 ISIL militants were estimated to be left in the town. In the early afternoon, the Iraqi troops also advanced on the town of
Tel Keppe, north of Mosul, besieging the town. The town of Bashiqa was reported to be fully under Peshmerga control, though an ISIL pocket remained under siege in the town until the end of the month. In eastern Mosul, the ISOF surrounded the neighborhoods of Karama, Malayyin al-Salasa, Shquq Khazraa, Zahra, Karkuli, Aden and Zahabi. The Iraqi Army's 9th armored division and the 3rd Brigade captured the village of Manarat Shabak, east of the city, and made an incursion into the eastern Mosul neighborhoods of Hay Intisar, Judaydah al-Mufti, and Hay Shaima. Meanwhile, the Iraqi Federal Police captured two villages near Hammam Al-Alil. On 9 November, the ISOF captured the majority of the Intisar district in southern Mosul, while ISIL had reportedly deployed armed child soldiers in Mosul. On 10 November, in eastern Mosul, the Golden Division, as well as elements of the 9th Division, were reported to be regrouping and clearing neighborhoods once occupied by ISIL, as well as screening residents fleeing from Mosul for any militants hiding among them. On the southern front, pro-government forces advanced towards the ancient city of
Nimrud. On 11 November, Iraqi forces on the southern front were preparing to advance up the western bank of the Tigris River toward
Mosul International Airport. In eastern Mosul, Iraqi forces launched a new offensive to regain control of the neighborhood of Karkukli, while Iraqi anti-terror units entered the Qadesiyya neighborhood. On 12 November, heavy clashes broke out in the al-Salam neighborhood of east Mosul. Iraqi Army announced that it had captured al-Arbajiya district and was clearing the adjacent al-Qadisiya al-Thaniya district. They also reached the Palestine neighborhood in southeast Mosul and were engaged in battle with ISIL in the Quds neighborhood. On 13 November, Iraqi forces recaptured the ancient Assyrian city of
Nimrud, as well as the adjacent modern town. Iraqi forces also captured the Karkojli neighborhood in eastern Mosul. On 14 November, thirty ISIL fighters, including senior leaders, were killed as PMU forces captured the village of al-Abbas; the PMU also captured two more villages. Pro-government forces on the southern front captured the village of Bo Youssef and were from Mosul airport. On 15 November, troops of the Golden Division began storming areas in northern and eastern Mosul, including the neighborhoods of al-Akhaa, al-Bakr, and al-Hadbaa. On the Western front, the Badr Organization announced that it had captured two villages and advanced ten kilometres in the western axis of the offensive. On 16 November, the PMF took control of
Tal Afar military airbase, to the northwest of Mosul city. On 18 November, the PMU attacked more villages in the vicinity of Tal Afar, in an area infamous for Sunni Islamist militancy and outstanding support for ISIL among the population. PMF control had already captured over 16 villages in the surrounding area, during preceding days. On 22 November, four of the five Tigris bridges in Mosul were struck by Coalition airstrikes within the past 48 hours. On the same day, U.S. Special Forces captured four Islamic State commanders near the town of
Al-Ba'aj, far to the west, near the Syrian border. On 30 November, the PMF said that they captured 12 villages from ISIL in the Tal Afar area, within the past five days. By 30 November, the Peshmerga had cleared the remaining ISIL snipers from the town, though they continued to clear the mines and explosives left behind by ISIL. At the end of November, the Iraqi military assessed that it had taken control of 19 neighborhoods in eastern Mosul during the month, about somewhat less than 30 percent of the area of Mosul east of the
Tigris. While the "Golden Division" Special Operations Forces persistently advanced into East Mosul, the 9th Division took one neighborhood in the southeast, the 16th Division had not yet breached the Mosul city limits from the north, and the 15th Division, advancing from the southwest, was still several kilometres away from western Mosul.
December 2016: Advancing towards the Syrian border and launch of Phase Two Twenty airstrikes by the US-led coalition were heard on the morning of 6 December, following an assault on the city's strategic main (old) bridge that was held by ISIL. In the overnight hours, ISIL launched a counter-attack in the southeastern area of Mosul, near al-Salam. On the same day, the PMU stated that it had captured the southern section of Tal Abta. Following the overnight ISIL attack, Iraqi forces continued to secure the al-Salam area on 7 December, capturing al-Salam hospital. However, ISIL recaptured the hospital after a counter-attack, which destroyed or disabled 20 Iraqi vehicles. On 9 December, Iraqi Joint Operations Command announced that they had captured the three east Mosul districts of Saha, Adel, and Tahrir, adding that Iraqi forces had captured 27 districts of Mosul, with clashes ongoing in 4 districts. On 11 December, the CTS forces mentioned that they had the al-Nour neighborhood of east Mosul. On 13 December, CTS commander Abdul Wahab al-Saedi stated that there were only 6 districts left to be captured by the CTS forces in East Mosul, and that they had already captured 32 of them. While the PMF to the west continued clearing villages in the desert region of the ISIL heartland in the
Nineveh Governorate, it was reported on the same day that the Badr militia was targeting villages around Tal Afar to "surround Daesh and tighten the noose around them", while Kata'ib Hezbollah advanced further west towards the Syrian border. On 15 December, CTS commander Abdul Ghani al-Assadi announced that the first phase of retaking the eastern shores of the city was completed, with CTS forces capturing 40 out of the 56 eastern districts. On 16 December, the PMF captured the Tel Abtah district, home to almost 50,000 people and a major strategic ISIL stronghold, and advanced on more villages to the south and southwest of
Tal Afar. On 18 December, the 9th Division, with the assistance of CTS, started attacking al-Wehda district of east Mosul, in order to regain control of al-Salam hospital. On 19 December, Iraqi forces stormed into the al-Mazare' area, after retaking large parts of al-Wahda in southeastern Mosul, and also killed 14 ISIL fighters, including four suicide bombers. On 21 December, U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Matthew Isler announced that pro-government forces had entered a planned operational refit, which included repairing vehicles, re-supplying ammunition and preparing for the next stage of the battle. He also stated that they had captured more than a quarter of the city. posing with Marine Gen.
Joseph Dunford and holding the ISIL flag upside down. On 23 December, the Iraqi Army captured the Mosul Police Academy headquarters in Al-Qahira district, which was their first major advance since the suspension of military operations a week earlier. On 24 December, U.S. Army Colonel Brett G. Sylvia stated that American soldiers assisting Iraqi forces would be embedded more extensively and would partner with additional formations. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi stated that Iraqi forces were in control of over a third of Mosul, while Iraqi Joint Operations Command spokesperson Yahia Rasoul stated that Iraqi forces controlled 44% of Nineveh Governate. He added that CTS forces controlled 40 districts in east Mosul, while the Iraqi Army's 9th Battalion held six districts. On 25 December, the CTS reportedly stormed into the Al-Quds district, later in the day. On 26 December, Commander of Nineveh Operations Major General Najim al-Jabouri announced that new military reinforcements had arrived in the Mosul neighborhoods retaken by Iraqi forces. On 27 December, the ISIL-run Amaq News Agency stated that the anti-ISIL coalition had destroyed the Old Bridge, the last functioning bridge in Mosul. The US-led Coalition stated that it had disabled a Mosul bridge with airstrikes, without providing further details. On 29 December, Iraqi forces launched the second phase of the battle, pushing from three directions into the remaining eastern Mosul districts. Iraqi soldiers and Federal Police entered about half a dozen southeastern districts, while the CTS advanced in the al-Quds and Karama districts. In the third front, Iraqi soldiers also pushed toward the northern city limits. An ISIL headquarters in al-Thobat district was reportedly destroyed in coalition airstrikes, killing 12 militants. Later in the day, the commander of the operation declared that they had captured two villages to the north of Mosul, killing 70 militants. Iraqi forces had captured half of the al-Quds district by early afternoon. On 30 December, Iraqi security forces advanced in several areas. In the northern front, the 16th Division stormed the Habdaa district while also trying to cut off the supply lines to Tel Kayf. Ammar al-Haweidi, who was an elite leader of ISIL, was reported to have been killed by the Iraqi Federal Police. On 31 December, heavy clashes occurred at the southeastern and northern fronts of Mosul. An Iraqi Army officer deployed in the southeastern front reported that their advances had slowed down, due to heavy clashes and difficulty in differentiating between civilians and militants. Iraqi forces on the northern front advanced towards the periphery of Mosul, with an officer stating that heavy clashes were ongoing in the Argoob area. The CTS destroyed four VBIEDs, when ISIL tried to attack them in the street linking al-Ta'mim neighborhood and the garage area in east Mosul.
January 2017: Capturing east Mosul Iraqi forces continued their advance on 1 January 2017, capturing a part of the Karama district, taking near complete control of Intissar and Siha districts, and clearing the Salam district. The CTS linked up with the Rapid Response Division during the day at the edge of al-Intissar and al-Quds, capturing more than 60 percent of east Mosul. Later that day, Iraqi forces captured the Yunus al-Sabaawi and Yafa districts in the southeastern part of the city, and also completely captured al-Intissar, as well as the districts of al-Malayeen, al-Kindi, and al-Arabi al-Thania. Iraqi Federal Police also captured the Gogjali-Intsar road and the strategic No. 60 Street to the southeast of Mosul. Iraqi Air Force airstrikes destroyed the office of ISIL's
hisbah police located on Mosul-Tel Afar road, and several warfare utilities of the group. The Iraqi Federal Police also destroyed the headquarters of Jund al-Khilafa (Soldiers of the Caliphate), an ISIL explosives factory, and a drone headquarters in al-Mithaq district. Later that day, the CTS captured the Karama industrial neighborhood, the industrial district, the Karama Silo (a flour mill), and a Mercedes Company building. Iraqi forces later captured the area of exhibitions and the commercial complex to the south of the Ta'mim district, along with the Al-Hay al-Senai and al-Mithaq districts, as well as the Maaridh area to the east of Mosul. On 4 January, Iraqi forces cleared the Mithaq district and advanced in al-Wahda. The United Nations stated that civilian casualties had started increasing as Iraqi forces advanced in the city. The Federal Police and 9th Division captured Wahda after heavy clashes, bringing them closer to the city center, while ISIL counter-attacks in southeastern Mosul were repelled. Iraqi forces later captured the al-Moallemin and Sumer districts, as well as the Mosul-Kirkuk road. On the same day, the
United States Department of Defense and the anti-ISIL Coalition stated that American advisers had entered Mosul with Iraqi forces. On 5 January, Lt.-Gen. Talib Shaghati stated that Iraqi forces had captured about 65–70% of east Mosul. An ISIL attack on the PMU near Tal Afar was repelled. The Federal Police announced that 1,700 ISIL fighters had been killed in the second phase. General Raed Shaker Jawdat stated that the group's headquarters in Nineveh province had been destroyed and that Iraqi forces had captured eight districts in the second phase, thus bringing the entire southeastern section of Mosul under their control. He also stated that all the remaining districts in east Mosul had been surrounded and would be stormed soon. On 6 January, the CTS stormed the al-Muthanna district, during an overnight raid across the al-Khawsar river, with the CTS later driving ISIL out of the district. This advance marked the first time that Iraqi forces had entered Mosul from the north. The CTS also launched an assault on the Hadbaa apartment complex on the northern front, sparking heavy clashes. On 7 January, Iraqi forces came within several hundred metres of the Tigris river. The CTS captured al-Gharfan district (previously known as al-Baath) and entered Wahda district, later capturing a hospital complex in Wahda. Meanwhile, a spokesman of the anti-ISIL coalition stated that ISIL had deliberately damaged the fourth bridge in Mosul as Iraqi forces advanced. Iraqi forces also captured ISIL's command center and two prisons, as well as Rifaq, the Atibaa 1st and Atibaa 2nd districts, and the Hadbaa residential complex. On 8 January, ISIL attacked CTS troops advancing towards the Sukkar and Baladiyat districts, though the attacks were repelled with the help of coalition warplanes, killing dozens of militants. The 9th Division and Federal Police had launched an attack on the Sumer and Domiz districts, on the southeastern front. The CTS spokesman said that Iraqi forces had reached the Tigris river for the first time in the offensive, advancing towards the eastern side of the fourth bridge.
Brett McGurk, USA's envoy to the anti-ISIL coalition, stated that ISIL's defenses in eastern Mosul were showing signs of collapse. Meanwhile, the PMU repelled an ISIL attack near Adaya, located to the west of Mosul. On 9 January, the CTS captured the Baladiyat district on the eastern front, while the Federal Police and Iraqi Army captured the Domiz and Palestine districts on the southeastern front. ISIL was still in control of the city's water stations, and was reported to have cut the water supply to more than 30 districts that had been captured by Iraqi forces. Meanwhile, the ISOF surrounded the
University of Mosul. On 10 January, CTS forces captured the Sukkar and al-Dhubbat districts, while advancing in the Siddeeq and al-Maliyah districts. Several governmental offices, including the communication complex, provincial electricity department, and a security headquarters were also captured by the CTS. In response to the advances, ISIL blew up two bridges to prevent Iraqi forces from attacking western Mosul. On the southeastern front, the Federal Police and Iraqi Army pushed further into al-Salam, Palestine, Sumer, Yarimja and Sahiron districts, while on the northern front, the Iraqi Army advanced further into al-Hadbaa while capturing northern part of Sabaa Nisaan. On 12 January, the CTS captured the 7th Nissan and Sadeeq districts, successfully linking up with Iraqi Army forces advancing in the Hadbaa district. CTS Spokesman al-Numan stated that Iraqi forces were now in control of about 85% of eastern Mosul. Around the same time, the Rapid Response Division advanced in the Sumer and Sahiroun districts, capturing those districts later in the day. Iraqi forces also captured the al-Salam district. Meanwhile, the PMU captured 3 villages near Tel Abta. On 13 January, the CTS reached the second bridge of the city, also called the "Freedom Bridge." In response, ISIL had destroyed all five bridges of the city, in order to slow the Iraqi advance towards western Mosul. The CTS later reached the Old Bridge of Mosul, also known as the "Iron Bridge", and stormed the University of Mosul, capturing a part of the university complex later in the day. The CTS also captured the al-Kafa'at district on eastern front as well as al-Sadriya, al-Naser, and al-Faisaliyah in the central part of East Mosul. Iraqi Army forces also captured the Hadbaa district during the day, and the CTS captured a government complex, which included the Nineveh Governorate administration and council buildings. On 14 January, the Rapid Response Division captured the Yarimja area and a field hospital that ISIL was using. The Federal Police also captured the highway between Mosul and
Kirkuk. Iraqi forces later completely captured the University of Mosul, in addition to the eastern side of a third bridge. On 15 January, Iraqi forces carried out a sweeping operation in the University of Mosul to clear out any remaining hiding militants, while continuing their advance along the Tigris river. The operation command later announced that the Iraqi Army had captured al-Kafaat Thani (Second) district on the northern front, while CTS had captured Andalus on the eastern front. ON 16 January, clashes occurred in the Shurta and Andalus districts. By this point, Iraqi forces had taken complete control of the river banks in the south. During the day, the Iraqi Army captured the Kindi and Qairawan districts, while the CTS captured Jammasa. The CTS later captured the Nabi Yunus area, including the
Nabi Yunus shrine. On 17 January, the CTS was in complete control of Shurta and Andalus, as well as the al-Muhandiseen district, and pushed into the Eastern
Nineveh and Souq al-Ghanam districts. The CTS later captured the Nineveh al-Sharqiya, Bab-Shams, and Souq al-Ghanam districts on the eastern front, as well as the Nu'maniya and Uttshana districts, while storming the adjacent al-Jazair district. Meanwhile, on the northern front, the Iraqi Army captured the Kindi military base, the former headquarters of the
2nd Division, as well as the nearby al-Kindi facility. The CTS also captured the Al Jazair, Al Derkazlih, Al Seuis, and Sanharib districts during the day, along with the Grand Mosque of the city. Iraqi forces also succeeded in capturing all five bridges of the city during the day, as well as the Zaraei district.
United States Air Force Colonel John Dorrian stated during the day that Iraqi forces were now in control of 85–90% of east Mosul. On the same day, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi stated that Iraqi forces had begun moving against ISIL in western Mosul. On 18 January, Lieutenant-General Talib Shaghati announced that the CTS had captured all the districts of east Mosul they were tasked with taking, and that Iraqi forces were almost in complete control of the eastern side, though a few parts of the city in the north had yet to be captured by the Iraqi Army. All five bridges of the city were also under the control of Iraqi forces. During the day, CTS captured the ruins of
Nineveh, as well as the adjacent Tal Nirgal area. Meanwhile, the Iraqi Army captured the al-Qadhiyah district and were fighting on the edges of al-Arabi district. Around the same time, the PMU captured two areas in the
Nineveh Plains region. On 19 January, the Iraqi Army captured the town of
Tel Kayf, to the north of Mosul (after a nearly three-month-long siege), as well as the Nineveh Oberoi hotel and the "Palaces" area on the eastern bank of the Tigris. Clashes continued in the Al-Arabi District. The Iraqi Air Force carried out an airstrike in al-Zerai area in Mosul, reportedly killing five ISIL leaders including Abdel Wahed Khodier, assistant to
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi; the Islamic Police Chief in Nineveh, Ahmed Khodier Sayer al-Juwan and Agriculture Minister in Tal Afar and Mahlabiya, Abdel Karim Khodier Sayer al-Juwan. Iraqi Iraqi forces also captured the Fadiliyah district and the Jaber ibn Hayyan military facility, as well as the Ghabat area. On 20 January, the 9th Division captured the
free zone in the northern sector of Mosul. Iraqi forces also captured a pharmaceutical plant to the north of Mosul, as well as the Al-Arabi 1 district, while clashing with ISIL in the Rashidiyah district. Meanwhile, the CTS started performing clearing operations in the districts they had captured in east Mosul. On 21 January, Iraqi forces continued advancing in the outskirts of the city. The Iraqi Army captured the al-Arabi district, as well as al-Qousiyat village, killing 40 militants and destroying four car bombs. The CJTF–OIR Coalition also announced that between 19 and 21 January, they had targeted a flotilla of 90 boats and three barges being used by ISIL to cross the Tigris and escape the clashes. On the same day, Coalition officials stated that the fight for West Mosul was expected to be tougher than the fight for East Mosul. On 22 January, the Iraqi Army captured the Al-Milayeen district and Al-Binaa al-Jahiz area, as well as the Mosul-
Dohuk road. By this point, only the Rashidiyah district was left under ISIL control in eastern Mosul. On 23 January, the Iraqi Army entered the Rashidiyah district. On 24 January, Iraqi troops captured the Rashidiyah district, as well as the villages of Ba'wiza, Shrikhan and Baysan. Following these advances,
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi later announced the "full liberation" of eastern Mosul. On 28 January, the PMU's 2nd Brigade repelled an attack launched by ISIL on the al-Kobayrat area, to the west of Mosul, killing 40 militants. On 3 February, the PMU captured the villages of Bostan Radif and Um Gharba, as well as the Sherka region of western Mosul. On 13 February, more than 200 ISIL fighters launched an attack on three villages to the west of Tal Afar, with tanks and VBIEDs, to regain access between western Mosul and Raqqa. The attack was repelled by the PMU, resulting in deaths of more than 50 ISIL fighters and the destruction of 17 VBIEDs. Another attack on a village to the south of the area was repelled, resulting in deaths of 13 militants according to the Federal Police. Airstrikes by the anti-ISIL coalition killed Haqi Ismail Hamid al-Emri, a former member of
al-Qaeda in Iraq who played a leadership role of ISIL's security networks in Mosul. had just split
ISIL's Mosul pocket, encircling the ISIL forces in the city. The pocket fell in late July. == Aftermath ==