ISIS News Today 2017: Mosul Free from ISIS; Infrastructure Repairs Might Cost More Than $1 Billion
Mosul, once a stronghold of ISIS, may be free from the clutches of the infamous terrorist group, but their town has been reduced into shambles, which may take more than $1 billion to restore.
According to Reuters, a senior U.N. official said on Wednesday that the restoration of Mosul's infrastructure will most likely take over US$1 billion.
"In western Mosul what we're seeing is the worst damage of the entire conflict," UN's humanitarian coordinator for Iraq, Lise Grande told Reuters in an interview. "In those neighborhoods where the fighting has been the fiercest, we're looking at levels of damage incomparable to anything else that has happened in Iraq so far."
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The Iraqi government, backed by the U.S., was successful in driving out ISIS. The town, however, paid a price for such a victory, wherein six of the 44 districts in western Mosul were destroyed. Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi declared the city's liberation on July 9.
The fierce fight involved car bombs, airstrikes, and other heavy artillery. Apart from the buildings, casualties of the battle include innocent civilians. While the US-led alliance suggests that more than 480 civilians have fallen victim to airstrikes both in Iraq and Syria, Airwars, a non-profit organization that tracks civilian casualties indicates that at least 4,500 have died because of coalition airstrikes.
UN's International Organization for Migration reports that more than a million people from east and west Mosul have been displaced since ISIS' occupation. More than 800,000 individuals are believed to be seeking refuge in camps.
Although Mosul's current state cannot provide the best living conditions, some residents prefer to stay in tents, hoping to return to their beloved city.
The town was once at the center of the ISIS propaganda, as the group believes that Mosul was the prophesied grounds for a final battle. Seventh century prophecies tell a story of a massive fight between good and evil.
