Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi released an audio recording, the first in almost a year, and expressed his confidence in the group’s eventual victory.
Amnesty International warned that is has received reports of revenge attacks on civilians in villages near the Tigris River. Victims are accusing the Sab’wai tribal militia, which is a Sunni group, of torture and false imprisonment. There are also reports that Shi’ite militiamen are interrogating civilians on the western Mosul front.
In Mosul, civilians by the hundreds were able to escape the Samah neighborhood.
Security forces liberated Min Gar and four other villages near Hammam al-Alil. Khafsan, Munita and Qutba were also reported freed. Also captured were Abbasiya, Ayn Shahlub, Bazzunnah, Kharar, Khubairat, Mankar, Qahira, Rahmaniyah, Shahlub, Tal Saif al Athari, Um Izzam, and Ayn al Jahsh factory.
Shi’ite militiamen reported the capture of a highway linking Mosul with Raqqa, Syria.
At least 283 people were killed and 84 were wounded in recent violence:
In Mosul, militants killed 150 civilians as they retreated from Gogjiali. Airstrikes left 100 militants dead and 40 wounded. Eight militants were killed during house-to-house searches in Gogjiali.
East of Mosul in the direction of Tal Afar, Shi’ite militias encountered many booby-traps in villages they recaptured. At least 15 militiamen were killed and 30 were wounded.
A bomb in Mukhisa killed a bomb expert and wounded three others.
Sunni militiamen beat seven civilians near the Tigris River.
A bomb injured four servicemen in Tarmiya.
Near Haditha an airstrike killed eight militants.
A bomb in Hawija killed a militant leader.
