Alwaght- Iraqi national army enters the northern city of Mosul as part of its operation to liberate it from ISIS.
Some units of Iraqi elite Counter Terrorism Services (CTS) have entered the Mosul for the first time since an extensive operation initiated to liberate the city on 17 October.
Members of CTS battled their way into the city’s eastern Karama neighborhood on Monday and are currently engaged in clashes with the terrorists, said General Wissam Araji.
"They have entered Mosul…They are fighting now in Hay al-Karama," he was quoted by Reuters as saying.
Entering the city opens a new chapter in the operation, now in its third week, that is set to defeat the ISIS terrorists in their last stronghold in Iraq.
Meanwhile Hadi al-Ameri, the Secretary General of Badr Organization that heads the volunteer forces says "the battle of Mosul will not be a picnic. We are prepared for the battle of Mosul even if it lasts for months.”
Earlier, Iraq’s Joint Operations Command announced that the CTS had launched a three-pronged offensive towards the eastern borders of Mosul.
According to officials, ISIS terrorist has been using car bombs in and around the city to hinder the government troops' advance.
During a Monday visit to the frontline of the operations, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said that Iraqi forces are currently attempting to close off all escape routes for the several thousand terrorists remaining in Mosul.
"God willing, we will chop off the snake's head," he said during an interview with state television. "They have no escape, they either die or surrender.”
