Iraqi army evacuated 2,500 from 3 villages south of Mosul

[Anthea]

SULAIMANI – Iraqi security forces evacuated 2,500 citizens from three villages south of Mosul, following the start of an Iraqi offensive against Islamic State (IS) militants to regain control of areas in Nineveh.

The Iraqi military’s press office issued a statement on Monday (March 28) saying the forces had evacuated citizens in Mahana, Kudila and Kharbardan villages to Makhmour, located some 45 miles southeast of Mosul.

Iraqi security forces also called on civilians remaining in other villages south of Mosul to leave their homes and head to Makhmour for safety.

Authorities have already begun setting up camps and reception centers, according to the military’s statement.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) released its latest findings on Monday which state that 3.4 million Iraqis have been displaced across the country due to the ongoing conflict.

While thousands have returned to areas liberated by Iraqi forces, Peshmerga and paramilitary forces, the country is bracing for a new wave of civilians who are expected to flee fighting in Nineveh.

In the latest operation, Iraq's armed forces went on the offensive against IS militants on March 24, in what Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi described as the first phase of a campaign to liberate areas around the city of Mosul.

The assault was launched from the Makhmour area, to which thousands of Iraqi troops have been deployed in recent weeks, setting up base alongside Peshmerga and U.S. forces.

Backed by the U.S.-led Coalition and by the Peshmerga, Iraqi troops advanced westwards at dawn, recapturing several villages from the militants, according to multiple military sources.

But sources said the troops made slow progress on Friday (March 25), held up because militants had rigged streets and buildings with explosives.