Strategic analyst Hisham Al Hashemi

Strategic analyst Hisham Al Hashemi said that the Iraqi troops resume advance in Mousl after the liberation of the districts of Aviation, Mamoun and Jawsaq, saying that these districts were used by the extremist group as bulwark to counter the advance of the Iraqi troops.

He revealed, in a statement to “Arabs Today”, that the Syrian fighters represent one third of the extremist militants existed in Mousl, saying that they are among citizens from different countries. He added that they use the bombing wheels and plant a large number of mines in the streets to prevent the Iraqi troops from resuming their advance and the civilians from leaving the areas of conflict.

Hashimi stressed that ISIS militants lost their balance due to the consecutive defeats from which they suffered during the recent months since the launch of military operations to liberate the Iraqi second largest city in October. He added that they turned to use the civilians as human shields to retaliate against their cooperation with the Iraqi forces.

He added that ISIS extremist group thought that they got the pledge of allegiance, as they imposed obedience and loyalty to the residents of the city. He stressed, “This is the major reason behind the increasing resentment of ISIS leader Abu Baker Al Baghdadi n his recent speech, as he accused Mousl’s Sunni residents of treason.”

He stressed that the extremist group will not return after its defeat in Mousl, stressing that it turned into a failure organization on the military level. He added that the consecutive defeats of the group in Faluja, Ramadi, Tekrit and Mousl’s left bank undermined the ambitions of the extremist group.