Alwaght-The Iraqi army and popular forces have ousted ISIS terrorists from al-Qayara air base in Southern Mosul after heavy clashes with the Takfiri terrorist group.
"The Iraqi security, tribal and anti-terrorism forces could take full control of the air base after heavy clashes with the ISIL militants," Nineveh province's governor-general Nawfal Hamadi al-Sultan has said.
He added that the terrorists fled towards al-Qayara town after they came under the pro-government forces' heavy attacks, and left their weapons and equipment at the base."
"The pro-government forces have now deployed at the air base and plan to use it as a platform to launch military operations against the ISIS in Mosul in the future," he added.
Media reports said on Thursday that the ISIS terrorist group declared state of alert in Mosul in anticipation of the Iraqi army's advances and its imminent attack on the city after the Iraqi flag was hoisted in the city center.
After the Iraqi flag was hoisted on Bab al-Toub market in the center of Mosul by unknown parties, the ISIS called on its terrorits to go on alert, the Arabic-language al-Sumeria News quoted an unnamed security source as saying on Thursday.
He noted that this is for the first time that the ISIS takes such a measure since two years that it captured Mosul city.
"The armed men destroyed the ISIS's flags and took and made several arrests, taking their prisoners to an unknown place," he added.
ISIS terrorists have been losing territory in Iraq following renewed joint operations between the Iraqi army and local militia units.
Meanwhile,Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar Al-Abadi called on Niniveh locals to prepare themselves for liberating their cities from ISIS terrorists, warning the corrupted officials who trade the Iraqis' blood.
Abadi considered that ISIS is now in a weakened position and that soon it will be widely defeated.
“The terrorist ISIL gangsters are facing clear defeat. After the victory of our heroic forces in Fallujah, ISIL could not even escape from the desert,” he said in a meeting with Interior Ministry officials on Friday.
“ISIS major defeat will happen soon,” he declared, “We will raise the Iraqi flag in Nineveh as we did in Fallujah.”
