Iraqi Federal Police 'Very Close' to Strategic Grand Mosul Mosque

Iraqi forces advanced in old Mosul and were “very close” to the strategic Grand Nuri Mosque in west Mosul on March 19, Iraqi local news reported citing the service’s chief, Shaker Jawdat.

The Nuri Mosque, which is also known as Habda minaret, is another important target for Iraqi forces: it was there that the Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi delivered a speech in 2014 in which he declared the establishment of an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq, appointing himself as the Caliph or “ruler” of the proclaimed state, Iraqi news reported.

This footage was shared by the media adviser of the Iraqi Federal Police and described as showing the forces “very close” to recapture the mosque. Credit: Facebook/Abdulrhman Alkhazali via Storyful