Battle for Mosul: Isis city under attack from Iraqi and Kurdish forces
A 35-year-old Mosul resident, using the pseudonym Abu Mohammed, has told Fazel Hawramy, reporting for the Guardian, that Isis forces are trying to mix into the population, and that civilians have seen “too many beheadings, people being drowned in cafes, thrown from buildings”.
Everyone is staying at home because we don’t know what else to do. Daesh [an Arabic acronym for Isis] are mostly moving around on motorbike and have small and heavy guns. The planes started bombing Mosul around one in the morning today, and they are in the sky constantly and occasionally striking targets. I would say the airstrikes are very precise but around 10% of casualties, in my estimate, are civilians.
Daesh are moving into civilian houses and mixing with the population. For example Daesh has placed a large depot of IEDs in a house next to my cousin’s. I begged him to leave his house and bring his family to stay with me, as the house could be targeted by coalition. He refused and said [he accepts] whatever destiny brings.
People have had enough in Mosul. The majority want Daesh to go as soon as possible and would like to see the Iraqi army and peshmerga to enter the city.
We have seen too many beheadings, people being drowned in cafes, thrown from top of buildings, etc. People have even offered to sacrifice animals if they see Daesh [go[ and get rid of them. I myself saw a man thrown off a building near the governor’s office around three months ago. I could not sleep for a week afterwards.
It’s difficult for civilians to leave the city because a ditch has been dug around many neighborhoods, especially east of the city. There is also fighting – we cannot leave our houses.