Images from Mosul reveal human cost of war on Daesh

Published November 3rd, 2016 - 01:53 GMT
Families flee the Gogjali district of Mosul (Bulent Kilic/AFP)
Families flee the Gogjali district of Mosul (Bulent Kilic/AFP)

Journalists have been sharing poignant images on social media of civilians fleeing from Mosul as government and Kurdish forces enter the outskirts of the city in the ongoing offensive to liberate the last major Iraqi city from Daesh.

After soldiers entered the Gogjali suburb of eastern Mosul on Wednesday families fled the battle, mostly heading to neighboring Kurdistan. One reporter shared striking footage of residents, many of them women and children, leaving on foot and carrying with them bags and suitcases:

Another video shows Kurdish Pashmerga fighters helping locals into a convoy of cars, each equipped with a white flag. Civilians, still wearing the conservative clothing enforced by the Islamist group including the full niqab covering for women, can be seen embracing the soldiers who have liberated them after two years under Islamist control.

"Families leave #Gogjali village adjacent to the city of #Mosul after it is recovered from 'Islamic State Organization'"

Other images showed the displaced Iraqis arriving in the safety of Kurdistan province:

"The beginning of the arrival of displaced persons from # Gogjali village adjacent to Mosul towards the territory of Kurdistan #Iraq # Mosul"

Meanwhile Lieutenant Muntazar of the elite Iraqi anti-terrorist forces claimed on Wednesday that “we have cleaned Gogjali, but we haven’t killed many Daesh, because most of them fled towards Syria,” the Guardian reported. Many Twitter users shared a short clip of Iraqi soldiers and press arriving in liberated Gogjali:

"Victory selfie in Kokjla #Ourvictoryisgold"

Yet, it is expected that the coming weeks, and possibly months, will see a harsh battle within the city. The consequence will undoubtedly be an increase in the already estimated 21,000 residents displaced from Mosul (International Organisation for Migration). So we can expect to be seeing more of the following images for a while longer:

"Thanks be to God. These images are of the displaced residents of Mosul out in the open. Lord have mercy upon them."

RA

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