Insurgents in Iraq overrun Mosul provincial government place

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(Reuters) - Insurgents overran the headquarters of the provincial government in Iraq's northern city of Mosul late on Monday, making further gains in a fourth day of fighting in the country's second-largest city.

Governor Atheel Nujaifi was trapped inside the building but managed to escape while police held back an assault by hundreds of militants armed with rocket-propelled grenades, sniper rifles and heavy machine guns mounted on vehicles.

The western side of Mosul is now in control of militants, who are advancing steadily southwards in the direction of a major army base where a military airport and top-security prison are located, three army officers told Reuters.

Earlier on Monday, Nujaifi made a televised plea to the city's inhabitants to fight militants who have been regaining ground in Iraq and last Friday moved into Mosul.

"I call on the men of Mosul to stand firm in their areas and defend them against the outsiders, and to form popular committees through the provincial council," said Nujaifi, the Iraqi flag draped behind him.

Police and local officials said the militants were using cranes to move blast walls into position and block roads to prevent the army from regaining control.

Several army officers said Iraqi forces were demoralized and no match for the militants from the Sunni Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which is also active across the border in Syria.

"Without urgent intervention of more supporting troops Mosul could fall into their hands in a matter of days" said a senior security official from Nineveh operation center, adding that ISIL was only 3 kilometers from the Ghizlani military camp.

The fighting has already forced more than 4,800 families from their homes to other parts of the province and beyond, Iraqi deputy Migration and Displacement minister said.

(Reporting by Ziad al-Sinjary; Writing by Ahmed Rasheed; Editing by Isabel Coles and Cynthia Osterman)

If Mosul fall in ISIS hands, it will be the final countdown for Iraq. How Maliki could pretend to stay PM ? That's the results of its politics.

If Mosul fall, Niniveh plain is terribly exposed. Another flow of refugees in KRG. I wonder when USA will stop to support blindly Bagdad.

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Apparently, Mosul falls down to ISIS and Sinjar is surrounded (road through Rabiia is taken by ISIS).

Iraqi army is in a complete disaster. Soldiers fled and left their weapons. Kurdish KDP and PUK have evacuated their offices in Mosul. Peshmergas have evacuated diplomatic people.

Mosul governor has been moved to Duhok. Iraqi army stops the fight and withdraw.

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[Londoner]

Let it to fall on the head of Noory Malikey Al-Tickrity.

In no way, Peshmerga forces should interfere apart from protecting disputed areas.

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Some videos here about ISIS entering in Mosul :

http://www.xendan.org/kurdi/dreja.aspx? ... 5992&Jor=2

[KabirKuhi]

Let it to fall on the head of Noory Malikey Al-Tickrity.

In no way, Peshmerga forces should interfere apart from protecting disputed areas.

That's stupid. Regardless of whether you like nouri al maliki, shiahs, arabs or not, it's stupid to let terrorist scum to control territory. If they establish a base of operations in mosul, who do you think they'll attack? Do you think you can negotiate with Dash? Atleast nouri al maliki is civilized and rational to some extent. Baghdad-KRG conflict, is no excuse for kurds to be indifferent towards salafist terrorists. Don't think ISIS terorrists won't come to kurdistan.

[Anthea]

In-between all the fighters there are innocent people who DIE

If this map is a true approximation of the size of armed forces in the region it does not look as though the Iraqi forces will be able to do very much - even if they were trying to help those living in Mosul

London is right nobody should trust "Noory Malikey Al-Tickrity" personally I would not put it past him to allow ISIS to gain control over the entire area - the Peshmerga forces do not have a legal right to interfere - if they did Malikey could you it as a reason to take action against Kurdistan

As far as Malikey is concerned - he is probably hoping ISIS will chase the Kurds out - then and only then after both Kurds and ISIS have been weakened by the fighting - will Malikey send in his troops - we will have to wait and see what happens next

The only things that we know for certain are - when the fighting started in the vicinity of Mosul immediate and powerful action should have taken place to quell it - instead the fighting was allowed to build up in it's intensity before very much action was taken - many innocent people are going to die

[KabirKuhi]

In-between all the fighters there are innocent people who DIE

If this map is a true approximation of the size of armed forces in the region it does not look as though the Iraqi forces will be able to do very much - even if they were trying to help those living in Mosul

London is right nobody should trust "Noory Malikey Al-Tickrity" personally I would not put it past him to allow ISIS to gain control over the entire area - the Peshmerga forces do not have a legal right to interfere - if they did Malikey could you it as a reason to take action against Kurdistan

As far as Malikey is concerned - he is probably hoping ISIS will chase the Kurds out - then and only then after both Kurds and ISIS have been weakened by the fighting - will Malikey send in his troops - we will have to wait and see what happens next

The only things that we know for certain are - when the fighting started in the vicinity of Mosul immediate and powerful action should have taken place to quell it - instead the fighting was allowed to build up in it's intensity before very much action was taken - many innocent people are going to die

Wow the level of stupidity in this thread is astounding. The numbers of kurds in mosul is low. The region which they dispute is kirkuk. Youre a paranoid idiot if you think maliki wants to wait until 10% kurds are ethnically cleansed from mosul. Rather it has to do with the security forces low morale,incompetent leadership,corruption. Thats why theyre not doing their job.

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Now Tikrit is threatened.

I wonder if KRG will intervene if people are in danger in Sinjar and Nineveh. Now Sinjar seems too be surrounded because ISIS took the only road of communication. If Peshermags had to seize it, well, at least it would resolve the question of referendum concerning the return of Sinjar and Sheikhan within KRG.

PYD shout when KRG began to dig some ditches but it was not a bad idea to secure their Syrian border. PUK complained in the same way in Kirkuk for they dig ditches between Kirkuk and Erbil. I think it will be very useful now to control all accesses from South and West.

[Anthea]

If anyone is really interested in the truth - the Kurdish population of Mosul is thought to be approximately 20% - 25%

I refuse to argue with uninformed idiots

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Dark brown : what ISIS controls of Iraq now.

[Anthea]

Dark brown : what ISIS controls of Iraq now.

Did not these areas used to be Sunni?

If I remember rightly there was a great deal of trouble because the Iraqi government arrested thousands of wives of the militants - cannot remember all the details

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Sunnis and christians also especially in Qaraqosh, and in Ninviveh, Kurds, Shabaks, Yezidis.

The only good thing is that if Iraqi army left the disputed territories, Peshmergas could seize them without referendum. Even Kirkuk,

[Anthea]

Sunnis and christians also especially in Qaraqosh, and in Ninviveh, Kurds, Shabaks, Yezidis.

This is turning into a disaster

What do you think will happen next?

Why do you think Baghdad allowed ISIS to become so strong and did very little to prevent it's growth while it was nothing more than a thorn in the side of Baghdad?

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I think that Maliki and Bagdad have completely failed and that is the collapse of Iraq. Now government asked to all iraqi to take weapons and to fight : good idea, a big blood bath where everybody won't be able to discern ISIS and civilians…

KRG controls the North of Mosul and some parts of Sinjar. It would be good if they could seize completely Sinjar. ISIS speaker stated to Rudaw that they won't not attack KRG… Probably because they know that it would be a hard task to win.