MOSUL: US-backed Iraqi forces battled their way to within firing range of Mosul’s main government buildings, a major target in the offensive to dislodge fighters of the militant Islamic State group from their remaining stronghold in the western side of the city.

Terrified civilians were fleeing the fighting, some toward government lines, often under militant fire. Others were forced to head deeper into IS-held parts of the city, straining scarce food and water supplies there.

Iraqi forces captured the eastern side of Mosul in January after 100 days of fighting and launched their attack on the districts that lie west of the Tigris river on Feb 19.

If they defeat IS in Mosul, that would crush the Iraq wing of the caliphate the group’s leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi declared in 2014 over parts of Iraq and neighbouring Syria. The US commander in Iraq has said he believes US-backed forces will recapture both Mosul and Raqqa – IS’s Syria stronghold — within six months.

“The provincial council and the governorate building are within the firing range of the Rapid Response forces,” a media officer with the elite interior ministry units said, referring to within machinegun range or about 400 metres.

Taking those buildings would help Iraqi forces attack the militants in the nearby old city centre and would be of symbolic significance in terms of restoring state authority over the city. US-trained Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) units battled IS sniper and mortar fire as they moved eastwards through Wadi al-Hajar district to link up with Rapid Response and Federal Police deployed by the riverside, in a move that would seal off all southern access to the city.

The militants set ablaze homes, shops and cars to hide their movement and positions from air surveillance. Satellite pictures also showed a fabric cover set up over a street in the old city centre.

VITAL BRIDGE: Residents in districts held by the militants said they were forced to take their cars out of garages onto the street to obstruct the advance of military vehicles.

Military engineers started repairing the city’s southernmost bridge that Rapid Response captured on Monday.

The bridge, one of the five in the city that were all damaged by air strikes, could help bring in reinforcements and supplies from the eastern side.

Several thousand militants, including many who travelled from Western countries to join up, are believed to be in Mosul among a remaining civilian population estimated at the start of the offensive at 750,000.

They are using mortar, sniper fire, booby traps and suicide car bombs to fight the offensive carried out by a 100,000-strong force made up of Iraqi armed forces, regional Kurdish peshmerga fighters and Iranian-trained Shia paramilitary groups.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2017