Thousands of Christians rejoice after the liberation of Qarqosh near Mosul
According to Iraqi military sources, on the second day of the liberation of Mosul, the Christian town of Qarqosh has been liberated from the occupation of the "Islamic State" forces. According to the Pentagon, ISIS is using civilian residents of Mosul as human shields.
On Tuesday (October 18), the Iraqi army managed to enter the town of Qarqosh, southeast of Mosul, without any military clashes. Iraqi military officials say that ISIS forces have left the Christian-populated area as the country's army advances. ISIS has put up sporadic resistance in other areas.
Thousands of Christian refugees currently sheltering in the city of Erbil took to the streets on Tuesday evening to celebrate the liberation of the town of Qarqosh.
Qarqosh was once the largest Christian area in Iraq. Tens of thousands of Christians have fled the area since ISIS forces captured the city two years ago.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Jaafari called on the international community to support the country in its fight against ISIS. “Iraq is currently in a difficult financial situation,” Jaafari told European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini during a meeting in Brussels on Tuesday.
According to Jafari, Iraq welcomes financial or any other assistance from European countries. Jafari added: "The success of the recent military operations of the Iraqi forces will have a positive impact on the security of Iraq and other countries in the world."
ISIS's use of human shields
According to Iraqi officials, more than 700,000 people currently live in Mosul, and the number of ISIS fighters in the city is said to be around 5,000.
As coalition forces advance around Mosul, a US Department of Defense spokesman said that the ISIS terrorist group, known as the "Islamic State," is "100 percent using civilians in this city as human shields."
In telephone calls to Reuters, some residents of Mosul said that ISIS was preventing people from leaving the city. According to some media reports, ISIS had forced a number of residents to live in buildings that were likely to be targeted by coalition airstrikes.
Aid organizations are also preparing to help thousands of potential displaced people near Mosul.
Putin's support for the Iraqi government
Mosul is the last major stronghold of the Islamic State group (ISIS) in Iraq. A coalition of the Iraqi army, Kurdish peshmerga, Shiite and Sunni militias launched a major offensive to liberate the city on Monday. The United States is supporting the coalition.
John Dorrian, a spokesman for US forces in Iraq, tweeted that the Iraqi army and Kurdish Peshmerga forces had achieved their objectives ahead of schedule. More than 100 US troops are directly involved in the Iraqi army's operational units in the fight against ISIS. The US is also supporting coalition forces with airstrikes.
The defeat of ISIS in Mosul is seen as a defeat for the terrorist group throughout Iraq. Haider al-Abadi had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. According to Iraqi sources, Putin stressed his support for the Iraqi government in its fight against the terrorists.
Plan for the reconstruction of Mosul
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier announced that his country is ready to help Iraq after the liberation of Mosul. “We do not know how long the operation to liberate Mosul will take, but it is important that we have a plan for the city after it is liberated,” Steinmeier said in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper.
Steinmeier stressed that after the liberation of Mosul, urgent measures must be taken to build trust among the people and allow displaced people to return to their former residential areas. He added: "We must provide a clear vision for the lives of the people and the reconstruction of the city."
On Thursday (October 20), more than 20 countries and international organizations will gather in Paris to discuss the situation in Mosul and future aid to the city.
Source: DW
