Army: Civilians caught in crossfire slow down troops in Mosul
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region-- Iraqi armed forces are "cautiously" advancing against ISIS on the western side of the embattled city of Mosul to protect the lives of civilians and clear the newly liberated neighborhoods of bombs the radical militants have left behind upon their retreat, military officials report.
Lt. Gen. Abdulwahab Saadi, a commander in the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Forces (ICTS) said in a press conference on Saturday, “the operation to retake the right side of Mosul has not stopped. But, after any area is controlled, the security forces start their campaigns to clear it of bombs, vehicles, booby trapped houses and other remains of the ISIS militants.”
Saadi added that “the security forces are advancing cautiously as a large number of civilians are left out and ISIS has not allowed them to leave their areas.”
Lt. Gen. Abdulwahab Saadi, a commander in the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Forces (ICTS) said in a press conference on Saturday, “the operation to retake the right side of Mosul has not stopped. But, after any area is controlled, the security forces start their campaigns to clear it of bombs, vehicles, booby trapped houses and other remains of the ISIS militants.”
Saadi added that “the security forces are advancing cautiously as a large number of civilians are left out and ISIS has not allowed them to leave their areas.”
Iraqi government forces on Friday retook the al-Adala district and al-Basha Mosque on the right bank of Mosul from ISIS, Rudaw’s Farhad Dolamari reported from western Mosul.
The next goal of the operation is the Nur mosque where ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared his so-called caliphate on June 29, 2014, naming himself the leader of the whole Islamic world, seeking to found a new Islamic regime.

ISIS executed 13 Islamic clerics who refused to pledge allegiance to the self-declared caliphate in that same month, including the cleric of the mosque.
The mosque is also the site of the al-Hadba minaret, nicknamed the hunchback by Iraqis because of its precarious tilt.