November 20, 2016 Faith Matters

Video purports to show IS fighters attacking Iraqi forces near Mosul

Video posted online on Saturday (November 19) by the Islamic State-affiliated Amaq News Agency appears to show clashes between IS fighters and Iraqi forces near Mosul in Iraq.

The first clip purports to show Islamic State fighters firing heavy machineguns at unspecified targets on the outskirts of Aden, east of Mosul.

The footage also appears to show an unidentifiable aircraft flying overhead with the sound of gunfire in the background.

In the second clip, a bulldozer said to belong to Iraqi forces can be seen moving along with other military vehicles in Athba village, south of Mosul before being blown up.

A 100,000-strong alliance of Iraqi forces, with air and ground support from a U.S.-led coalition, have nearly surrounded Mosul but so far only breached the jihadists’ defences from the eastern side, establishing a small foothold inside the city.

Militants are dug in among more than a million civilians as a defence tactic to hamper air strikes. They are moving around the city through tunnels, driving suicide car bombs into advancing troops and hitting them with sniper and mortar fire