900 Iraqis successfully escaped the last remaining ISIS stronghold.

(Baonghean.vn) - The self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) has deployed numerous car bombs and mortars to slow the advance of Iraqi army forces outside a key town in Mosul, an Iraqi army commander said on October 19.

Some residents have fled Mosul. Photo: AP.

The commander of Iraq's 9th Corps said his unit is currently about 1km from the town of Hamdaniyah (also known as Bakhdida). Since October 18, ISIS has deployed 12 car bombs to attack Iraqi forces. Although all of these vehicles exploded before reaching their targets, several Iraqi soldiers were injured. The commander did not provide details on the number of casualties.

Regarding the battle for Mosul, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees reported that more than 900 civilians have fled Mosul to Syria. This is the first large group of people to successfully escape since the Iraqi army launched a major offensive to retake Mosul from ISIS. These individuals are currently being housed in refugee camps in Syria, but the UN will seek ways to return them to safe areas in Iraq.

The fact that over 900 people were able to escape shows that ISIS has not yet found a way to block all the city's inhabitants. Conversely, this also raises concerns for the Iraqi army and the international coalition about the possibility that ISIS fighters themselves could use this route to retreat.

The United Nations estimates that around 1.5 million people are trapped in the city, while approximately 5,000 ISIS fighters are entrenched there. The international community fears that ISIS may use civilians as "human shields" to hinder advances by the Iraqi army.

Earlier, the Iraqi government had advised citizens that, during the offensive, staying in the city might be safer than trying to flee. Some residents trapped in the conflict zone managed to contact news agencies by phone. They reported that ISIS was trying to corner them in high-rise buildings – which are often targets of airstrikes.

Diep Khanh

(According to Seattle Times, BBC)