9 handcuffed bodies found northwest of Mosul

Iraqi security forces found nine bodies believed to belong to ISIS, inside the medical complex, northwest of Mosul.

"The bodies were handcuffed and were shot in head," security source said, adding that they are believed to be members of ISIS organization and were executed during the fighting. He added that the decomposition of bodies indicates that the incident occurred about a month ago, coinciding with the battles in those areas near the old Mosul.

In the same context, Zuhair Jubouri, spokesman for the Nineveh guards said that Nineveh guards managed to free two civilians who had been kidnapped by influential elements of the Iraqi forces in Al Arabi neighborhood, north of Mosul.
 

US-led coalition aircrafts carried out many raids east of Salah al-Din province, northern Iraq. The air bombardment targeted a meeting of the gunmen before launching to carry out the attack, leaving at least 12 of ISIS elements killed, and dozens injured.

"Security forces found nine bodies that were scattered inside the medical compound in the Shifa district, northwest of Mosul," said Hatem Karim, a senior lieutenant in Ninewa police. "The bodies were handcuffed and shot in the head area and are believed to be elements of an organized organization and were executed during the fighting," he said. He added that "the decomposition of bodies indicates that the incident occurred about a month ago, coinciding with the battles in those areas near the old Mosul."

According to a military source, a major arms depot belonging to ISIS inside the center of the district of Tal Afar, (60 km west of the city of Mosul) was bombed by unknown.

Over the past few days, armed attacks by members of ISIS organization in the northeast and east of Diyala, which targeted security sites, security elements and vital installations, have escalated. In the summer of 2014, ISIS organization controlled large areas in Diyala, east of the country. Iraqi army forces, supported by the International Alliance, carried out large-scale military operations in which they liberated all areas.

On another context, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a delegation of 33 Republican congressmen last week that he is in favor of an independent Kurdish state in parts of Iraq, according to Jerusalem Post.

According to a source who took part in the discussion on Thursday, Netanyahu expressed his "positive attitude" toward a Kurdish state in the Kurdish areas of Iraq, saying the Kurds are a “brave, pro-Western people who share our values.

Netanyahu does not frequently address the Kurdish issue, which is a politically highly sensitive one because the traditional US position – at least until US President Donald Trump took office in January – was that Iraq should remain a united state and not be broken up into separate parts.

Furthermore, a Kurdish state is a red flag for Turkey, which is concerned that such a development would stir up independence yearnings among its own Kurdish population.

Netanyahu has not spoken publicly about the issue since 2014 when he said during a speech in Tel Aviv that Israel should “support the Kurdish aspiration for independence.”

Netanyahu’s comments to the congressmen came during a survey of regional issues and amid increasing concerns in Jerusalem that Iran is making tremendous inroads in the region, especially in Syria, but also in Iraq, Yemen and elsewhere. Mossad head Yossi Cohen addressed Israel’s concerns over Iran during a briefing to the cabinet on Sunday.

Netanyahu, during a speech later in the evening in Ashdod, said he could briefly summarize what Cohen said: "Islamic State is leaving and Iran is moving in. Simple. We are speaking primarily about Syria." Netanyahu said Israel “strongly opposes the military buildup of Iran and its satellites, primarily Hezbollah, in Syria, and we will do everything necessary to preserve Israel’s security.”

In a meeting last Monday with a delegation of 19 Democratic congressmen, Netanyahu said Iran has moved some 20,000 Shi’ite militiamen into Syria. According to government officials, the ratio of Iranian soldiers among these militias is about 12:1.