Iraqi forces fully control army base, Mosul airport

IRBIL, Feb 24 (KUNA) -- Iraqi security forces have taken control of Mosul Airport and sprawling Ghazlani military base, the General Command of Joint Operations said Friday.
"Anti-Terrorism Squad managed today (Friday) to fully control Ghazlani military base and hoisted the Iraqi flag on its facilities as the enemy lost heavy casualties and equipment," Commander of "Operation We are coming, Nineveh" Gen. Abdulamir Al-Lami said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Federal Police Chief Major Shaker Jawdat said Iraqi security forces have liberated Mosul Airport in southern Mosul from the militants of the so-called Islamic State (IS).
Counterterrorism service troops and elite interior ministry units known as Rapid Response forces descended on the airport early on Thursday and the nearby Ghazlani military complex.
The United Nations estimated that about 750,000 civilians are trapped in western Mosul. The initial numbers of displaced from western Mosul have been low, but Iraqi forces are yet to punch into the city's dense urban neighborhoods. (end) sbr.mt