MOSUL (FNA) – The Iraqi air force dropped tens of thousands of leaflets over Mosul in western Iraq calling on the residents of the city to prepare themselves for the its imminent liberation.
"We have informed Mosul citizens that the ISIL's end is near as it is spending its last days and they should prepare themselves for welcoming the Iraqi troops," the Iraqi army announced in a statement.
Iraq's joint military forces are now behind the gates of the city of al-Qayyara which is 63 kilometers from Mosul and ready to start the third phase of the liberation operations of Mosul city and its surrounding areas.
A senior military commander announced that Iraq's joint military forces have completely seized back a strategic island to the east of Ramadi in Anbar province.
"The Iraqi security and Hashd al-Shaabi (volunteer forces) managed to fully liberate al-Khalediya Island 23 kilometers to the east of Ramadi and also take full control of the surrounding villages and regions of the island," Commander of Anbar Liberation Operations Major General Esmail Mahlawi said.
He noted that the liberation of al-Khalediya Island comes after recapturing of the Bu Kana'an region which was the last military base of the terrorists in Al-Khalediya Island area.
Meantime, the Hashd al-Shaabi Command Center in a statement announced that over 150 terrorists from different countries, including two Americans, 7 Russians, 4 Chechens and many Saudis, were killed in the al-Khalediya Island liberation operation.
General Mahlawi said that the Iraqi forces killed 700 ISIL terrorists during an anti-terrorist offensive on Khalediya Island.
"Security forces have so far killed 700 ISIL members since the beginning of Khalidiya Island liberation battles," said General Mahlawi.
The final anti-terrorist offensive on Khalediya Island started in late July.
The city of Ramadi was occupied by ISIL terrorists in May 2014. The government forces succeeded in retaking the city after weeks of fierce fighting from December 2015 to February 2016.