FORCES CAPTURE RELIGIOUS HERITAGE SITE
MOSUL Iraqi forces have captured the site of the Mosque of the Prophet Younis after driving Islamic State of the Iraq and the Levant militants from a new neighbourhood in eastern Mosul, a spokesman said on Tuesday. The progress comes as the UN warned that nearly 150,000 people have been displaced since the Mosul operation started in midOctober.
The mosque was among dozens of historical and heritage sites destroyed by ISIL militants after their June 2014 onslaught.
The site is believed to be the burial place of the prophet Jonah, who was swallowed by a whale in stories from both the Bible and the Qur’an. It was built on an archeological site dating back to the 8th century B.C. and attracted religious pilgrims from multiple faiths around the world.
The advance comes as Iraqi forces are pushing ISIL out of the last neighbourhoods in Mosul’s east and closing in on the Tigris River that roughly divides the city.
While Iraqi forces continue to make territorial gains, Mosul’s civilians continue to be killed, wounded and displaced by the fighting.
The UN said in a statement that the Mosul operation continues to inflict high civilian casualties. The UN said more than 1,500 wounded civilians were taken to hospitals in the nearby city of Irbil for trauma care since the operation began in October.