Iraq launches offensive to 'liberate' western Mosul from ISIS
The Iraqi PM says the move is "the start of a new chapter of Mosul operations."
— -- Iraq launched on Sunday an offensive to retake western Mosul from ISIS, prime minister Haider al-Abadi said in a televised address.
"We announce the start of a new chapter of Mosul operations to liberate the right side of Nineveh [Mosul] as we did with the other part," Al-Abadi said. "I declare to our brave forces to proceed with courage to liberate the other side of Mosul and to liberate its peoples from Daesh [ISIS] oppression forever."
Al-Abadi called on security forces to deal with civilians properly and respect human rights.
The immediate objective of the offensive is to take the villages on the southern outskirts of Mosul airport, a police spokesman told The Associated Press.
Plumes of smoked were spotted above Iraq's second-largest city Sunday morning, as U.S.-led coalition jets struck ISIS positions southwest of Mosul and militarized police fired artillery toward the city, The Associated Press reported.
The United Nations expressed concern for civilians in the affected areas. According to UN estimates, between 750,000 and 800,000 civilians live in the western section of Mosul.
"With military operations to retake western Mosul starting, United Nations humanitarian agencies in Iraq are rushing to prepare for the humanitarian impact of the fighting amid grave concerns that tens of thousands of families are at extreme risks," the UN said. "Food and fuel supplies are dwindling, markets and shops have closed, running water is scarce and electricity in many neighborhoods is either intermittent or cut off."
Lise Grande, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, said in a statement, "The situation is distressing. People, right now, are in trouble. We are hearing reports of parents struggling to feed their children and to heat their homes."
About 178,000 civilians have been forced to flee to refugee camps because of the ongoing conflict in Mosul.
Iraqi forces retook control of eastern Mosul from ISIS in January after a three-month battle.
The Iraqi announcement comes one day after the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Syria Democratic Forces said that the predominantly-Kurdish SDF retook the northern Syrian village of Jawees from ISIS.