Islamic State chief Baghdadi ‘trapped’ in Mosul

As Iraqi regular forces approach Mosul’s eastern suburbs, Islamic State’s (IS) last stronghold in Iraq, they got some good news.

Fuad Hussein, the chief of staff to Kurdish President Masoud Barzani, declared that IS chief “Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is there and, if he is killed, it will mean the collapse of the whole (IS) system”.

The self-proclaimed caliph, the de facto leader of the Sunni terrorist organisation, remained hidden for almost a year, but opted to remain in Mosul while other senior IS leaders left for Syria. Many important figures have been killed during the last offensives to retake cities like Fallujah and Ramadi. 

The importance of Mosul for the terrorist organisation is not only a matter of military control but also a fundamental part of the narrative of being a state – losing it will surely represent a major psychological blow for the many who decided to fight within IS ranks. It will be difficult to sustain the propaganda of a newly born and strong state if the organisation cannot manage to defend its Iraqi capital. 

The battle to reconquer the city of Mosul is far from over, it has just entered a new phase which is likely to be the toughest, characterised by urban guerrilla and unconventional warfare. Iraqi forces reached the eastern border of the city, but there are still many villages which need to be secured before stating that the IS is definitely surrounded. 

The IS is also putting up fierce resistance. “Daesh (IS) is fighting back and have set up concrete blast walls to block off the Karama neighbourhood and (stop) our troops’ advance,” said Major General Sami al-Aridi of the Iraqi forces. 

Major General Najim Al-Jubouri, Commander-in-Chief of the Nineveh operations, told DNA: “The most important part of the Mosul offensive is the people...I believe that the bad relationship between the security forces and the people played a central role in the rise of the IS.”