Troops resume push to drive out militant fighters
BARTELLA, Iraq — The Iraqi army pushed into a town near the Islamic Stateheld city of Mosul on Saturday, a day after dozens of militants stormed into the northern city of Kirkuk, setting off two days of clashes and killing at least 80 people, mostly security forces.
The Iraqi army said the 9th Division has pushed into the town of Hamdaniyah, also known as Qaraqosh and Bakhdida, and raised the flag over its government compound, but the troops were likely still facing resistance in and around the town.
The town is about 12 miles from Mosul. Iraqi forces launched a wide-scale offensive last week aimed at retaking Mosul, the country’s second largest city, which fell to the Islamic State in 2014.
Hamdaniyah is believed to be largely uninhabited. The militants have heavily mined the approaches to Mosul, and Iraqi forces have had to contend with roadside bombs, snipers and suicide truck bombs as they move closer to the city.
Islamic State said it foiled an attack on Hamdaniyah and seized vehicles and weapons left by retreating Shiite militiamen. The claim, carried by the extremist group’s Aamaq news agency, could not be confirmed.
Iraqi forces retook the town of Bartella, around nine miles east of Mosul, earlier last week, but are still facing pockets of resistance in the area.
In Kirkuk, meanwhile, some fighting continued a day after the Islamic State assault on the city, some 100 miles southeast of Mosul. The wave of attacks in and around Kirkuk appeared to be an attempt to divert attention from Mosul.
Brig. Gen. Khattab Omer of the Kirkuk police said at least 80 people were killed in the assault, mainly Kurdish security forces. Another 170 were wounded, he said, adding that a sundown curfew has been imposed on the city.
Omer said Kurdish security forces recovered the bodies of 56 militants who took part in the attack.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said the Kirkuk assault was a terrorist attack and not a military breach.
“Nearly all the terrorists who entered Kirkuk have been eliminated, and we have full control, except for maybe one area where they are being flushed out,” he said.
As the assault on Kirkuk was under way, an air strike hit a funeral procession in the town of Daquq to the south, killing 17 people, mainly women and children, and wounding another 50, said Daquq Mayor Amir Khodakram. He said it was not clear who carried out the air strike and that officials have launched an investigation.
The Russian Defense Ministry blamed the strike on the U.S.-led coalition, saying it had “all the signs of a war crime.” The U.S. military in Baghdad could not immediately be reached for comment.