ERBIL // Desperate to slow the advance of Iraqi troops towards Mosul, ISIL on Wednesday deployed suicide bombers and fired mortar shells a day after the Pentagon warned that trapped civilians were being used as human shields.
Iraqi forces were moving closer to retaking Qaraqosh, the country’s largest Christian town, on the third day of the offensive as Iraq’s powerful Shiite militia declared their intent to take part in the campaign. Up to 6,000 ISIL militants may still be holed up in Mosul, said the head of Iraq’s special forces, Lt Gen Talib Shaghati.
Meanwhile, the US military said ISIL leaders have been fleeing the northern city. US army Maj Gen Gary Volesky declined to say how many leaders had left, but said they were being attacked in air strikes as they fled.
After reaching the town’s outskirts a day earlier, the Iraqi army’s 9th armoured division was on Wednesday within a kilometre from Qaraqosh, also known as Hamdaniyah, whose population of around 50,000 had fled when ISIL took over the ancient Christian dwelling in August 2014.
News that the militants were losing their grip on the town sparked scenes of wild jubilation in Ainkawa, a Christian district of the Iraqi Kurdish capital Erbil, and hundreds of people took to the streets to celebrate and hold prayers. Many of Qaraqosh’s displaced residents ended up in camps in Ainkawa, where they have been pining to return to their homes.
"There is a lot of emotion," Karam, a Qaraqosh resident who fled to Erbil with his family in 2014, told The National. He likened his time in exile to "a man who is in prison and is waiting to be released into freedom".
Situated about 20 kilometres from the edge of Mosul, Qaraqosh is one of the few larger urban areas standing in the way of reaching Mosul. Its recapture from ISIL will likely open up a new front to the north of the city, where Kurdish peshmerga and Iraqi army units have been massing along the ridge straddling Mosul’s northern approaches.
With the Iraqi army continuing its advance on Mosul from the south on the other side of the Tigris, the insurgents will be pushed back from three sides: north, south and east.
ISIL still holds a corridor of territory to the west of the city, and the army has admitted that it might keep open an escape route into Syria in a bid to tempt the insurgents to abandon their defence of Mosul.
Russia on Wednesday warned the US-led coalition against pushing the extremists from Iraq to Syria, with its chief of general staff Valery Gerasimov saying, “It is necessary not to drive terrorists from one country to the other but to destroy them on the spot.”
The plan to leave an open corridor may now change, however, after Iraq’s Shiite militias on Wednesday declared they will participate in the Mosul operation by supporting an Iraqi push towards the ISIL-held town of Tal Afar, west of Mosul. Taking Tal Afar would effectively cut off the extremists’ escape route to Syria.
The Shiite militias, also known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) or the Hashed Al Shaabi, are powerful armed groups that have proven effective in the war against ISIL, but they also stand accused of the widespread killing and torture of Sunni civilians.
“The PMF will be backing the security forces on the western front ... along two axes. The first is Tal Afar and the second is to support the forces going into the centre of Mosul,” according to the official Hashed Al Shaabi website.
The militias will only act as a back up to the regular army, and take part in the fighting inside Mosul if needed, Haitham Al Mayahi, a spokesman for the Badr Organisation, one of the biggest PMF groups, told The National on Tuesday.
If the militias were to enter Mosul, they would likely spark widespread panic among the city’s Sunni residents who are terrified of the Shiite fighters, and complicate efforts to minimise civilian casualties, which centre around keeping inhabitants in their houses.
Aid agencies are woefully underprepared to deal with the expected mass exodus of civilians from Mosul, and escaping the heavily mined and contested city will be extremely dangerous for those trying to flee.
Should the PMF position themselves on the outskirts of the city once the fighting gets under way in Mosul, fleeing civilians run the risk of sectarian reprisals by the militia as they did during the battle for Fallujah earlier this year. Sectarian reprisals are even more likely if the PMF enter Tal Afar, a town where ISIL enjoys strong grass roots support among its Sunni Turkmen population. “Tal Afar is seen as one of the most central hubs of ISIS support and activity, what some might term the badlands,” said Michael Stephens, the head of the Royal United Services Institute in Qatar.
A move by the Shiite militias on Tal Afar could be an attempt to prevent Turkey from using the town’s Sunni Turkmen to spread its influence in northern Iraq. The PMF are engaged in an escalating rivalry with Turkey, which maintains a military base close to Mosul and has refused to pull its troops out of Iraq.
The Shiite militias, some of which fight alongside the Assad regime in Syria, might also want to gain an access route to the country.
With the weak Iraqi government only wielding limited control over the Shiite militias, allowing them involvement in Tal Afar could be an exercise in damage limitation, said Mr Stephens.
“Perhaps this could be a trade-off for them not operating inside Mosul, and they can assume the spoils of war while not creating further problems inside Mosul itself.”
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
* with additional reporting from Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse
Leading all-time NBA scorers
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 38,387
Karl Malone 36,928
Kobe Bryant 33,643
Michael Jordan 32,292
LeBron James 31,425
Wilt Chamberlain 31,419
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
Types of policy
Term life insurance: this is the cheapest and most-popular form of life cover. You pay a regular monthly premium for a pre-agreed period, typically anything between five and 25 years, or possibly longer. If you die within that time, the policy will pay a cash lump sum, which is typically tax-free even outside the UAE. If you die after the policy ends, you do not get anything in return. There is no cash-in value at any time. Once you stop paying premiums, cover stops.
Whole-of-life insurance: as its name suggests, this type of life cover is designed to run for the rest of your life. You pay regular monthly premiums and in return, get a guaranteed cash lump sum whenever you die. As a result, premiums are typically much higher than one term life insurance, although they do not usually increase with age. In some cases, you have to keep up premiums for as long as you live, although there may be a cut-off period, say, at age 80 but it can go as high as 95. There are penalties if you don’t last the course and you may get a lot less than you paid in.
Critical illness cover: this pays a cash lump sum if you suffer from a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease or stroke. Some policies cover as many as 50 different illnesses, although cancer triggers by far the most claims. The payout is designed to cover major financial responsibilities such as a mortgage or children’s education fees if you fall ill and are unable to work. It is cost effective to combine it with life insurance, with the policy paying out once if you either die or suffer a serious illness.
Income protection: this pays a replacement income if you fall ill and are unable to continue working. On the best policies, this will continue either until you recover, or reach retirement age. Unlike critical illness cover, policies will typically pay out for stress and musculoskeletal problems such as back trouble.
MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
SERIES INFO
Cricket World Cup League Two
Nepal, Oman, United States tri-series
Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
Fixtures
Wednesday February 5, Oman v Nepal
Thursday, February 6, Oman v United States
Saturday, February 8, United States v Nepal
Sunday, February 9, Oman v Nepal
Tuesday, February 11, Oman v United States
Wednesday, February 12, United States v Nepal
Table
The top three sides advance to the 2022 World Cup Qualifier.
The bottom four sides are relegated to the 2022 World Cup playoff
1 United States 8 6 2 0 0 12 0.412
2 Scotland 8 4 3 0 1 9 0.139
3 Namibia 7 4 3 0 0 8 0.008
4 Oman 6 4 2 0 0 8 -0.139
5 UAE 7 3 3 0 1 7 -0.004
6 Nepal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 PNG 8 0 8 0 0 0 -0.458
The Bio
Favourite holiday destination: Either Kazakhstan or Montenegro. I’ve been involved in events in both countries and they are just stunning.
Favourite book: I am a huge of Robin Cook’s medical thrillers, which I suppose is quite apt right now. My mother introduced me to them back home in New Zealand.
Favourite film or television programme: Forrest Gump is my favourite film, that’s never been up for debate. I love watching repeats of Mash as well.
Inspiration: My late father moulded me into the man I am today. I would also say disappointment and sadness are great motivators. There are times when events have brought me to my knees but it has also made me determined not to let them get the better of me.
Mrs%20Chatterjee%20Vs%20Norway
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ashima%20Chibber%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rani%20Mukerji%2C%20Anirban%20Bhattacharya%20and%20Jim%20Sarbh%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
MATCH INFO
Schalke 0
Werder Bremen 1 (Bittencourt 32')
Man of the match Leonardo Bittencourt (Werder Bremen)
Brief scores:
Toss: Kerala Knights, opted to fielf
Pakhtoons 109-5 (10 ov)
Fletcher 32; Lamichhane 3-17
Kerala Knights 110-2 (7.5 ov)
Morgan 46 not out, Stirling 40
Results
2.30pm: Expo 2020 Dubai – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: Barakka, Ray Dawson (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)
3.05pm: Now Or Never – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: One Idea, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson
3.40pm: This Is Our Time – Handicap (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Perfect Balance, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar
4.15pm: Visit Expo 2020 – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Kaheall, Richard Mullen, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.50pm: The World In One Place – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1.900m; Winner: Castlebar, Adrie de Vries, Helal Al Alawi
5.25pm: Vision – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Shanty Star, Richard Mullen, Rashed Bouresly
6pm: Al Wasl Plaza – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Jadwal, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson
SHOW COURTS ORDER OF PLAY
Wimbledon order of play on Saturday, July 8
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Centre Court (4pm)
Agnieszka Radwanska (9) v Timea Bacsinszky (19)
Ernests Gulbis v Novak Djokovic (2)
Mischa Zverev (27) v Roger Federer (3)
Court 1 (4pm)
Milos Raonic (6) v Albert Ramos-Vinolas (25)
Anett Kontaveit v Caroline Wozniacki (5)
Dominic Thiem (8) v Jared Donaldson
Court 2 (2.30pm)
Sorana Cirstea v Garbine Muguruza (14)
To finish: Sam Querrey (24) leads Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (12) 6-2, 3-6, 7-6, 1-6, 6-5
Angelique Kerber (1) v Shelby Rogers
Sebastian Ofner v Alexander Zverev (10)
Court 3 (2.30pm)
Grigor Dimitrov (13) v Dudi Sela
Alison Riske v Coco Vandeweghe (24)
David Ferrer v Tomas Berdych (11)
Court 12 (2.30pm)
Polona Hercog v Svetlana Kuznetsova (7)
Gael Monfils (15) v Adrian Mannarino
Court 18 (2.30pm)
Magdalena Rybarikova v Lesia Tsurenko
Petra Martic v Zarina Diyas
How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
The biog
Siblings: five brothers and one sister
Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota
Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym
Favourite place: UAE
Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera
What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books
