Daesh 'disguising themselves as civilians' in Mosul

By Yalcin Celen

BARTIN, Turkey (AA) - Daesh terrorists are disguising themselves as civilians in Iraq’s Mosul city making the operation to dislodge them from their stronghold all the more difficult, an Iraqi Turks association head told Anadolu Agency on Sunday.

Mehmet Tutuncu, head of the Iraqi Turks Culture and Solidarity Association, said Daesh terrorists "are cutting their hair and beard or wearing masks, freeing the prisoners and digging up ditches to keep [Iraqi] forces out of the city."

Last month, the Iraqi army -- backed by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes -- launched a wide-ranging operation aimed at retaking Mosul, the last Daesh bastion in northern Iraq, from the terrorist group.

In mid-2014, Daesh captured Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, before overrunning vast swathes of territory in the country’s north and west.

Recent months have seen the Iraqi army, backed by local allies on the ground and the U.S.-led air coalition, retake much territory.