UPDATED: Army jets kill 14 militants, destroy IS vigilantes office in western Mosul

Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi fighter jets pounded Islamic State locations in western Mosul on Wednesday, killing 14 militants and destroying the group’s vigilantism office, according to a statement from the Defense Ministry media.

The War Media Cell said 14 militants were killed while two booby-traps were destroyed when Iraqi fighter jets bombarded Ras Sinjar and 17 Tamuz (July 17th) regions in western Mosul. It added that six booby-trapped vehicles belonging to the extremist group were destroyed.

 17 Tamuz (July 17th) district in western Mosul (google maps)

Other strikes destroyed the group’s so-called “Islamic police” office in al-Baaj area, also west of Mosul, according to the statement. Islamic police was IS’s vigilantes service which observed civilians’ commitment to its extreme religious rules.

Iraqi government forces recaptured eastern Mosul in January after three months of fighting, and launched an offensive in February to recapture the western region.Iraqi troops are currently working to retake central Mosul districts from IS militants, specifically eyeing the city’s grand mosque where the group’s self-styled “Caliphate” was declared in 2014.

Earlier this week, the Iraqi air force said strikes it had carried out since the start of Mosul operations in October killed 2200 Islamic State members.

Iraqi field commanders were quoted earlier this week saying that bad weather, coupled with the narrowly-structured residential areas of western Mosul, had forced troops to halt ground incursions at some stages and to rely instead on air assaults and artillery bombardments to avoid fires and suicide attacks by Islamic State snipers and attackers who, Iraqi commanders say, use civilians as human shields.

Source:.iraqinews.com