A false start | Colonel Cassad

The Prime Minister of Iraq, arrived in Mosul said that Mosul is completely liberated from the Caliphate, and the battle for Mosul is completed.

This is not true – the militants continue to hold a small part of the old city on the Western Bank of the Tigris, where they continue to resist the Iraqi army and police. It is clear that there is not much time left, and desire of Iraqis to kill militants in Mosul, obviously, but from a formal point of view, the battle is not over yet and today we are witnessing the second false start with the celebration of the liberation of Mosul – the previous one was on 29 June. However, the end of the battle of Mosul is not far away.

Read Article →

No escape | Colonel Cassad

On the banks of the Tigris eliminated one of the last high-ranking commanders of the Caliphate in Western Mosul Abu Hafsa al-Saud, who was a native of Saudi Arabia. This character tried to escape from the compression ring not wanting to prematurely go to a meeting with houris, where he massively sent his less pragmatic colleagues. Either he wanted to sneak along the West Bank of the Tigris, or to cross to the Eastern part of the city and get lost there, and perhaps subsequently to participate in the organization of the terrorist war in the liberated from ISIS in Mosul. But something went wrong – on the banks of the Tigris he met the team that accelerated his delivery to hell.

Read Article →

The Liberation Of Mosul | Colonel Cassad

However, it is understandable why the Iraqis are ready to share the joy. For them, the capture of Mosul is the end of a long blood test and the hard-won victory, which has long been waiting for the exhausted people of Iraq. The lesson of the ruins of the mosque of al-Nuri is a very symbolic moment for the war against the Caliphate in Iraq – the Iraqi army came to the place where the Caliphate as a state. And now, she is actively involved in its liquidation.It is quite obvious that they really want to declare victory, so are more in a hurry, although the final outcome of the battle has long been obvious – the tenacity of fighters only prolonged the resistance, but couldn’t change the determined outcome.

Read Article →

The battle for Mosul. April 2017 | Colonel Cassad

The storm itself still comes down to the painfully long sweeps of neighborhoods in the North-Western part of the city with slow but inexorable progress. In the optimistic scenario, this will be done by May. In the pessimistic one, it will until July be delayed (repeating the scenario of Sirte, the last pocket of resistance on the coast was finished after 3 months), although with the exhaustion of ammunition and explosives for the attacks of suicide bombers, the resistance of the fighters will weaken.

Read Article →

The battle for Mosul. It’s been six months | Colonel Cassad

Overall, the painful removal of the militants in Mosul will take some time, and of course not without more losses. But in the end Iraq and it will survive, but for the Caliphate the loss of the of Mosul will be a terrible blow, and it’s not only the value of the city, which administratively has long been cut off from the Caliphate and its quasi-state system is actually isolated.The fact that after Stripping the city and district of tal afar, released a large number of troops that will be used for operations in Western Iraq that promises in the second half of 2017 big problems for the Iraqi parts of the Caliphate. So fighters can certainly amuse themselves by bragging about the losses of the Iraqis and the company, but it only underlines a simple truth – the Caliphate as a quasi-state structure will suffer inevitable defeat, crushed by superior opponents, but the way will be a long and blood will be shed fairly. The battle for Mosul is more than demonstrated. On the order of Raqqa.

Read Article →

Meeting in Antalya | Colonel Cassad

Russia in this situation, advocates of Assad, bargaining for a new territorial gains in Northern Syria and striving to achieve interaction between Assad and the Kurds to pull the Kurds out of a too strong alliance with the United States. At this stage, the Kurds have already passed the Syrian army three villages to the southwest of Manbij, but fully buffer zone is still not formed. While to the West of Manbij fighting continues between the Kurds and the FSA, where both parties bear the loss in killed, wounded and prisoners. There are losses in clashes between the SAA and FSA.

Read Article →

Mosul. Moments of the war | Colonel Cassad

Despite the losses of the Iraqis and the stubborn resistance of the enemy, the strategic position of militant groups in the Mosul area continues to deteriorate. Yes, they cause significant losses to those advancing and defend to the death, but they cannot reverse the current trend, and in March, or at least, in early April West of Mosul should be freed. At the moment there are according to various estimates from 550 to 750 thousand people still in the city.

Read Article →

Mosul Campaign Day 110, Feb 4, 2017 | Musings on Iraq

The Iraqi forces (ISF) have constantly talked about a frontal assault on west Mosul across the Tigris River, but now it might be done on two fronts. The Joint Operations Command announced that all preparations for west Mosul were completed. It said engineers would construct bridges to bring vehicles into west Mosul. Now new reports are emerging of another attack, which would not require coming under direct fire while crossing the Tigris.

Read Article →

Hybrid strategy of Iran | Colonel Cassad

There was quite a remarkable report focuses on the updated hybrid strategy of Iran in the Syrian war. This topic is quite narrowly covered in the media, and interested Americans to demonize Iran itself is quite clear, given the fact that the new White House administration has already identified Iran among the main opponents of the US in the region. However, the report has many interesting points.

Read Article →

Mosul. 24.01.2017 | Colonel Cassad

By 24 January the forces of the Iraqi army and security forces, almost completely occupied the Eastern neighborhoods of Mosul. “Black” continue the resistance only in Rashidi North of the city. Full capture of district business 1-2 days. Part of the 1st infantry and 9th armored division of the Iraqi army crushed the last pockets of organized resistance in the Central districts adjacent to the river, the forces of the police special forces are now conducting a sweep there. The approaches to the destroyed bridges over the Tigris are entirely controlled by Iraqi security forces.On January 22, started to assemble the pontoon bridges for the crossing of the Tiger to begin the assault on the Western part of Mosul. It is expected that the enemy continues stubborn resistance in a dense housing development, which will impede the use of aircraft and artillery. They should expect a new wave of attacks by car bombs.

Read Article →

Mosul Campaign Day 70, Dec 25, 2016 | Musings on Iraq

There was continued talk of the new phase of the Mosul campaign in Iraqi papers. General Fazi Barwari of the Golden Division made the bold prediction that all of east Mosul would be freed by the end of the year. Only about 40% of that section of the city is currently occupied so claiming they would go through the remaining 60% in six days is a little unbelievable. A member of the Hasdh al-Watani, run by former Ninewa governor Atheel Nujafi and backed by Turkey, told the press that the new campaign was supposed to start on December 24, but bad weather pushed it back.

Read Article →