Press TV - Daesh has launched a chemical attack in a recently-liberated area in west Mosul, severely injuring several Iraqi soldiers.
According to security sources on Saturday, missiles loaded with chlorine were fired at al-Abar neighborhood, injuring at least seven troops who were treated for respiratory problems.
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.
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.
Iraqi forces kill Daesh commander
Meanwhile, Iraqs federal police announced that they had killed a high-ranking Daesh commander and gained control of a network of tunnels used by the terrorists.
The forces killed Daesh leader called Mahmoud Ali Mahmoud Matar al-Hadidi during clashes with the group members in the Old City, said lieutenant General Shaker Jawdat.
The troops controlled the groups network of tunnels, in the south of the city, that is used as an alternative headquarters by the leaders,he added.
The Iraqi government also announced that the number of people who have managed to flee the Daesh terrorists in Mosul has reached 500,000.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"]
Iraqi forces gesture as they stand outside a building during clashes with Daesh in the old city of Mosul on April 15, 2017, during an offensive to recapture the city.[/caption]"The number of the displaced residents from some regions in Nineveh exceeded 500,000 persons, including 320,000 people from Western Mosul. The residents were distributed among camps located in south and east of Mosul, said a statement released by the Iraqi Ministry of Migration and Displacement.
98,444 refugees were distributed among Erbil camps of al-Khazer, Hassan Sham and Jamkour as well as Debaga Camp in the Makhmour area near Mosul180,407 residents were provided shelter at camps of al-Jadaa, al-Haj Ali, al-Madraj and Hamam al-Alil. Duhok camps of al-Narkezliya and Qaymawa include15,511 persons, it added.
