On Thursday, the U.S. military admitted to 54 civilian casualties in coalition airstrikes on Iraq and Syria between March 31 and Oct. 22.
A Sunni unit fighting within the Hashd Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Committee) is calling on the Iraqi government to deal with the sectarian strife. The Lions of the Tigris militia group is participating in the Mosul offensive. These Sunni tribesmen, and one woman, feel that it may all be for naught if Baghdad does not address the sectarian issues permeating political and civilian life.
However, one of Baghdad’s biggest issues is the government’s inability to rein in the Shi’ite militias. It is unclear what will happen once the war with Islamic State is over. The Iran-supported militias appear to be forming their own government, and many militiamen say they will not put their weapons down when peace arrives.
Daesh has launched over 600 car bombs, amounting to about 14 per day, in the Mosul. However, the military has employed new tactics to reduce the militants’ ability to use car bombs.
At least 192 people were killed and 34 were wounded in recent violence:
In Mosul, snipers have killed 15 children trying to flee the city over the last two days. Car bombs killed 10 civilians and five soldiers; 20 civilians were wounded. Mortars killed three civilians and wounded three more in the Bakr district. Airstrikes left 58 militants dead. Security forces killed 16 militants.
In Baghdad, four bombs in the Shabb district left two dead and seven wounded. Bombs in Sadr City and Bab al-Sheikh wounded several people.
Two engineers were killed when militants blew up electrical towers in Albu Bali.
A bomb at a cattle market in Abu Ghraib killed one person and wounded four more.
Gunmen killed the mukhtar of a village near Muqdadiya.
In Tal Afar, 32 militants were killed when a number of landmines exploded. It is believed that heavy rains may have triggered the explosives.
Security forces killed 26 militants in Tel al-Rumen.
Airstrikes on Anah left 21 militants dead.
