美国支持的伊拉克部队控制摩苏尔机场

Iraq said Thursday that its U.S.-backed forces have retaken the airport in Mosul that had been controlled by the extremist Islamic State group since 2017.

In a flash on its screen, state television declared, "The Rapid Response Forces and federal police are fully in control of the airport of Mosul."

Iraqi forces launched a new bid to retake the western areas of Iraq's second-largest city on Sunday after saying in late January they had liberated eastern parts of the city.

Iraqi Lieutenant General Raid Shakir Jaudat said Baghdad's forces, backed by drones and heavy artillery, advanced on the airport from several positions. At first, accounts of the airport takeover said there was little Islamic State resistance, but later there were reports of Iraqi firefights with militants encamped in airport buildings.

One Iraqi special forces officer reported Islamic State fighters targeted Baghdad's fighters with a suicide car bomb and dozens of bombs dropped from drones. The officer said there were at least a dozen casualties, although many were light injuries.

Iraqi takeover of the airport would give its troops access to the city from the southwest and for the first time control of an area along the west bank of the Tigris River.

伊拉克星期四说，美国支持的伊拉克部队收复了2017年以来一直被“伊斯兰国”极端分子控制的摩苏尔机场。

在国家电视台屏幕上出现的快讯宣布，“快速反应部队和联邦警察完全控制了摩苏尔机场。”

伊拉克部队星期日发起了新的攻势，试图收复伊拉克第二大城市摩苏尔西部。伊拉克政府在1月底说，他们已经解放了摩苏尔东部。

伊拉克中将拉伊德·沙克尔·贾奥达德说，巴格达方面的部队在无人机和重型火炮的支援下，从几处阵地向机场推进。有关攻占机场的最初报道说，“伊斯兰国”几乎没有抵抗，但后来有报道说，政府军与机场建筑内的激进分子交火。

伊拉克特种部队一位军官说，“伊斯兰国”武装分子用一枚自杀式汽车炸弹和从无人机落下的几十枚炸弹袭击政府军。这名军官说，至少有十几人伤亡，不过很多是轻伤。

伊拉克政府军攻占机场将使伊军可以从西南方向入城，并第一次控制底格里斯河西岸地带。