The major push to retake Mosul from Daesh (ISIS) began early Monday morning. Led by the Iraqi army, the mission also includes the US-led coalition, Popular Mobilization Units (largely Shia, pro-government militias), Sunni groups and the Peshmerga (military of Iraqi Kurdistan). Turkey, too, is in the area.
Clearly, a plethora of groups are along for the ride, but on Monday, reports emerged that some civilians in Mosul likewise rebelled against the militant group as its days appear numbered in their largest city.
The reports appeared on Twitter, and in some smaller media outlets such as Al Masdar News, a pro-Syrian regime news site.
Al Bawaba confirmed the reports with a source close to the Peshmerga.
In September, The Independent’s Bethan McKennan reported that Daesh was cracking down on some civilians they suspected of supporting the pending rebellion.
Daesh’s fears were not unfounded. In October, reports surfaced that somebody tried to poison Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and other senior leaders in the Nineveh province, home to Mosul.
AL