Iraqi armed forces continued on Sunday (May 28) with their operation to capture the last Islamic State-held enclave in Mosul, according to a military statement.
The fall of the city would, in effect, mark the end of the Iraqi half of the “caliphate” declared nearly three years ago by Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, which also covers parts of Syria.
The enclave includes the Old City centre and three adjacent districts along the western bank of the Tigris river.
The U.S.-backed offensive in Mosul, now in its eighth month, has taken longer than planned as the militants are dug in among civilians.
The push inside the Old City coincides with the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. The offensive’s prime target is the medieval al-Nuri mosque with its landmark leaning minaret, where Islamic State’s black flag has been flying since mid-2014.
