Iraqi government 'impatient' to speed up Mosul liberation process

Iraqi officials say the country's army is accelerating the process of liberating the strategic city of Mosul from the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS).

Iraqi forces on duty in Mosul. (Photo: Reuters)

As part of the all-out offensive launched on January 13, security forces have captured the vast campus of Mosul University, a scientific and cultural institution that is a symbol of Iraq and the Middle East.

Along with that, the army also announced that it had controlled most of the eastern region, including three large bridges across the Tigrit River, blocking IS reinforcements and paving the way for an attack in the west.

On the northern front, with the support of the international coalition, government forces have liberated additional neighborhoods in al Habaa and surrounding areas.

To date, government forces have recaptured 90% of the territory east of Mosul and basically completely liberated the areas south and north of this strategic city.

Meanwhile, in the Palmyra battlefield in Syria, the main Syrian forces are launching a large-scale attack on the countryside west of Palmyra and aiming their attack at the northeastern area of ​​the city of Quraytayn.

The rapid advance of the Syrian army with the support of allied forces has liberated many more towns and villages in the Southeast from the hands of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS).

The next key task for the Syrian army is to retake the border of the gas fields in the desert northeast of Homs province to solve the severe gas shortage this winter for millions of Syrians.

According to VOV