Mosul battle will be bloody if ISIS decides to stay and fight, Kurdish expert says

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Islamic State (ISIS) militants will either leave their stronghold of Mosul without major resistance or they will stay and fight a "bloody war," according to the veteran Kurdish commander, Babaker Zebari, who also served as the chief of staff of the Iraqi army. 

"ISIS has said they declared their Caliphate in Mosul and if they were to lose it they would lose it in Mosul, which is why I predict that if they fight, there will be a bloody and heavy war," Zebari told Rudaw.

The city is virtually under complete siege by the Iraqi and Kurdish forces, with only one escape route available for the militants to leave the city for the Syrian border.

According to an Iraqi military expert who has studied ISIS capabilities to defend Mosul, the group has limited resources to resort to.

Ihasan Qaisson told Rudaw that ISIS has already dug several ditches around the city which it will use against incursion attempts by coalition forces.

"The group has already placed a great quantity of crude oil in many of the ditches, which they will set on fire to distract visibility for coalition warplanes targeting ISIS bases in the city," Qaisson said.

"There is also a circle-like ditch around parts of the city which the militant group will possibly use in addition to a tunnel to defend their positions," he added.