Press TV - The highest so-called official of religious law of the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group has been killed in amissile attack carried out by the Iraqi Air Force military aircraft in Mosul as government forces, backed by allied fighters from Popular Mobilization Units, are battling to retake the countrys second largest city from the extremists.
Commander of Federal Police Forces Lieutenant General RaedShaker Jawdatsaid on Friday thatAbdullah Younis al-Badrani, better known by the nom de guerre Abu Ayoub al-Attar, and two of his close aides were killed as security forces lobbed a barrage of missiles at a militant position in western Mosul.
Jawdatidentified one of the slain aides as Abdulqader Mahmoud al-Hamdouni al-Saji, noting that he was a member of the so-called Daesh oversightcouncilfor militant bases.
The high-ranking Iraqi security official further noted that federal police forces had fired a number of missiles into Daesh General SecurityDirectorate building, and destroyed it.
Iraqi forces also destroyed an anti-aircraft gun belonging to Daesh Takfiris as they struck militant-held al-Zanjili school in the western flank of Mosul.
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Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) forces advances towards the al-Abar neighborhood of Mosul on April 12, 2017, during an offensive to retake the city from Takfiri Daesh terrorists. (Photo by AFP)[/caption]The developments came a day after commander of Nineveh Liberation Operation, Lieutenant General Abdul Amir Yarallah, announced that soldiers from the 9th Armored Division had reclaimed the village of Halilaand established control over an entrance into western Mosul.
The media bureau of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC) also stated on Wednesday that Iraqi government forces had retaken the villages of Shawitah, Tal al-Asfour and al-Sabouniyah from Daesh terrorists.
The statement added that Iraqi forces hoisted the national flag over several buildings in the liberated villages.
Meanwhile, members of the Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) could free Mosuls western neighborhood of al-Abar after inflicting heavy losses on Daesh ranks and destroying their military hardware.
Iraqi army soldiers and pro-government fighters from Popular Mobilization Units, commonly known by the Arabic word Hashd al-Shaabi,havemade sweeping gains against the Takfiri elements since launching the operation toretake Mosul last October.
The Iraqi forces took control of eastern Mosul in January after 100 days of fighting, and launched the battle in the west on February 19.
