Iraq Airstrikes Pound Mosul, Deep in ISIS Territory

Civilians Killed in Strikes on Residential Areas

Iraqi warplanes pounded multiple sites in the northwestern city of Mosul today, with locals saying the strikes destroyed four homes and killed a number of civilians.

Though the Iraqi military has refused to confirm or deny the incidents, MPs did say the strikes were carried out, bragging that a number of ISIS militants were slain in the attack.

Mosul is the largest city in ISIS’s new nation, which it calls The Islamic State (TIS). Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the chief of ISIS, was shown giving sermons in Mosul on Friday.

The strikes in Mosul appeared to have accomplished little, and with the Iraqi military far away from the city it doesn’t seem like the strikes have much hope of helping them retake the city. If anything, it is likely to secure local support for ISIS.

ISIS has seized a lot of advanced military equipment in and around Mosul from fleeing Iraqi forces, and seems in position to retain the important city for a long time to come.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.