Iraq’s Hashd al-Shaabi makes fresh gains in W. Mosul

By Amr al-Hassani

BAGHDAD

Iraqi Hashd al-Shaabi forces on Wednesday recaptured two villages in western Mosul from the Daesh terrorist group, according to an Iraqi military source.

Army officer Odai Mohamed told Anadolu Agency that Hashd al-Shaabi forces had managed to wrest two villages -- Tel al-Khazraf and Hmeidan -- from Daesh militants.

“After fierce fighting, the militants were forced to withdraw to the center of western Mosul amid intense airstrikes by the Iraqi air force,” Mohamed said.

He did not, however, provide the number of losses sustained by either side.

Established in 2014 with the express purpose of fighting Daesh, the Hashd al-Shaabi is estimated to include more than 150,000 mostly Shia fighters.

Late last year, the Hashd al-Shaabi was formally incorporated into the Iraqi armed forces and continues to support the army’s ongoing campaign to wipe out the terrorist group.

In mid-February, Iraqi forces began fresh operations aimed at purging Daesh terrorists from western Mosul. The offensive came as part of a wider campaign launched last October to retake the city, which Daesh overran in mid-2014.