(WN)The Iraqi Air Force dropped millions of
leaflets over western Mosul late Saturday warning residents of an offensive by
ground forces on the ISIS-held part of the city, which has so far been targeted
only by airstrikes. Iraqi forces have had control of the eastern part of the
city, which is divided by the Tigris River, since January.
The leaflets say Iraqi forces are making
advancements to the western side and "provide guidance and
recommendations" for citizens ahead of the offensive, according to a
statement from the Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC).
The leaflets also warn ISIS members to
"lay down their weapons and surrender before they face their inevitable
fate at the hands of our heroic forces," the statement said.
As many as 800,000 civilians live in western
Mosul, according to the United Nations. It said UN humanitarian agencies in
Iraq are preparing to assist civilians caught in the fighting. Iraq's prime
minister on Sunday announced an offensive to seize control of western Mosul from
the terror group ISIS.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on
state television Sunday morning that the new push has begun. Hours earlier,
Iraq's military said planes dropped leaflets into the area, urging those who
joined ISIS to surrender, and warning that the military would move into the
western coast of the city, which straddles the Tigris River.
"I announce today the start of military
offensive to liberate the western coast of Mosul," al-Abadi said. He
added, "our mission is to liberate people before land."
ISIS seized control of the northern city in
2014, and Iraqi forces entered the city for the first time since then in
November. Mosul has been called ISIS' capital in Iraq, although its stronghold
is in the Syrian city of Raqqa.
The Iraqi military, backed by the U.S. and
other Western allies, have effectively surrounded the city. There are an
estimated 750,000 civilians in the western section of the city, according to
the United Nations and other groups.
The United Nations Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Saturday that the situation for
civilians trapped there is dire, as a road to Syria has been cut off and food
and fuel supplies have dwindled.
"People, right now, are in trouble. We
are hearing reports of parents struggling to feed their children and to heat
their homes," Lise Grande, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, said in
a statement.
The agency was readying to prepare to
distribute supplies, warning that tens of thousands of people may flee or be
forced to leave the city during the military campaign.
"We don't know what will happen during
the military campaign but we have to be ready for all scenarios. Tens of
thousands of people may flee or be forced to leave the city. Hundreds of
thousands of civilians might be trapped maybe for weeks, maybe for months," Grande said.
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