Iraqi forces repel two ISIS counterattacks in and around Mosul

MOSUL, Iraq - Iraqi forces repelled two ISIS counter-attacks in and around Mosul on Wednesday, killing a number of militants and capturing their arms and ammunition, said an army brigadier.

“We foiled their (ISIS) attack, and we took control of much equipment and explosives belonging to them,” said brigadier Muhammad Wakaa’, media officer of the Nineveh operations command.

Brig. Warkaa said the ISIS militants launched the attack on Wednesday morning on Mosul’s Abu Aweza front.

“Even though the weather was very bad, we successfully repelled the attack,” he added.

He maintained that the attack involved a large number of ISIS militants.

“I can’t tell how many [were killed] in today’s attack, but there certainly was a big number,” Brig.  Waaka said, reporting no causality from his own forces. 

In a separate incident, the Shiite Hezbollah forces of Iraq came under attack from ISIS militants west of Mosul near Tal Afar but they too managed to repel the attack, the group said.

Wednesday’s attack came just days after Iraqi military officials announced that they are fully ready for the second phase of the Mosul offensive that kicked off on October 17 to retake the country’s second largest city from ISIS.