Iraqi forces kill 21 gunmen south of Mosul

Monitoring Desk

NINEVEH: At least 21 gunmen have been killed in an ongoing military operation in Iraq’s northern city of Mosul, according to an Iraqi military officer.

The operation was launched on Tuesday in southern Mosul with a view to clearing the area from remaining Daesh militants.

“A total of 21 gunmen were killed and six vehicles destroyed in the past few hours,” Army Colonel Ahmed al-Jabouri said on Wednesday.

He said caches of weapons were seized during the offensive.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Maj-Gen. Shamil al-Zamli of the Nineveh Operations Command said Iraqi helicopters struck 17 targets and strategic positions of Daesh militants in Albu-Seif village south of Mosul.

Al-Zamli said the military operation aims to purge the area from any militant presence that threatens security.

Although Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced the total liberation of Nineveh province from Daesh, yet, the terrorist group still has sleeper cells in some areas in the province.

Berlin to continue training Iraq army: Germany will continue training members of the Iraqi armed forces, German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen reportedly told Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Wednesday.

Von der Leyen spoke to al-Abadi on the sidelines of the Davos Economic Forum now underway in Switzerland, according to an Iraqi government statement.

During her brief discussion with the Iraqi  Iraqi Prime Minister, von der Leyen reportedly stressed her country’s continued support for the maintenance of Iraq’s unity and stability.

Germany, the foreign minister said, also sought to bolster relations between the two countries in a number of different fields.