Iranian commander killed as Mosul civilians are urged to flee

A SENIOR Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander has been killed in an explosion during clashes with the Islamic State group west of Mosul, an Iraqi official said.

The news came as aid groups voiced concern for the safety of civilians after Iraq’s government called for residents in militantheld neighbourhoods of the city to flee immediately.

General Shaaban Nasiiri was an adviser to Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force. Mr Soleimani has acted as a key adviser to Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces – an umbrella group of mostly Shiite militia forces sanctioned by the Iraqi government – in the fight against IS since 2014.

The Iraqi official said Gen Nasiiri was killed on Friday and is the first senior Iranian commander to die in the Mosul fight.

Inside Mosul, US-backed Iraqi forces began the push to retake the Old City on Saturday morning, moving in on the district from three directions, according to a statement from Nineveh operations command, the authority overseeing the Mosul fight.

The IS hold on Mosul has shrunk to just a handful of neighbourhoods in and around the Old City district. Iraqi planes dropped leaflets over the area on Friday telling civilians to flee “immediately” to “safe passages” where they would be greeted by “guides, protectors and (transportation) to reach safe places”.

However, it is unclear how the government intends to ensure safe passage for civilians as IS fighters have repeatedly targeted fleeing civilians with small arms and mortar fire.

The move to clear the Old City marks a shift in approach. Since the Mosul operation was launched in October, Iraqi forces have encouraged civilians to remain in their homes to avoid massive displacement. However, more than 730,000 people have fled the fight to date, according to United Nations figures.