Civilians return to Mosul cautiously but security issues remain

World Today

Civilians return to Mosul cautiously but security issues remain

Iraqi and coalition forces are laying the groundwork to reclaim western Mosul from ISIL. It has been a jointed effort to oust the militant group from the occupied city for over two years.

International forces recaptured Eastern Mosul in late January. CGTN’s Michal Bardavid reports.

Sayidati al-Jamila it was a popular restaurant in eastern Mosul, but now it’s a blast site. A man blew himself up and killing four people there on Feb 10, ISIL has claimed responsibility for this.

The area was recently liberated from ISIL by U.S.-backed Iraqi forces. Life is slowly returning to normal, but security remains an issue. The terrorist group relies heavily on suicide attacks and is known to have sleeper cells within the city.

Iraqi security officials believe the latest attacks were intended to boost ISIL morale following their recent defeat in the region.

Along the streets are full of destroyed buildings, lifeless shops, shattered windows and bullet holes, signs of chaos under the occupation by the militant group. Yet, many Iraqis remain defiant.

While ISIL continues to carry out sporadic attacks in the eastern part of the city where it no long rules after two years of power. Iraqi forces are preparing for the next round of challenging battles in western Mosul.