Islamic State executed three of its prominent leaders in the west of Mosul, located 400 KM north of Baghdad, a policeman from Nineveh province said to iraqinews.com on Wednesday.
“IS killed each of Mohsen Zakariya al-Jabouri, Mete’b Attallah and Qahtan Najaf al-Shibli, in the aftermath of internal disputes among the militants,” Captain Jasem Mohamed told BasNews on Wednesday.
The victims were shot dead in Mesherfa region, west of Mosul.
Islamic State fighters, who have shown fierce resistance over the past months, weakened as operations in the east neared their end. Some reports indicate serious divisions and infighting within its ranks. Other reports had said that the group sentenced some of its fighters to death for delinquency on the battlefield.
Iraqi troops took over the eastern side of Mosul in January after 100 days of security operations and launched a new offensive to take the western region in February.
Battles in the west are believed to be much more difficult due to the density of residential areas and the high number of civilians.Retaking Mosul could ruin the Islamic State’s self-styled “Islamic Caliphate” declared in 2014 when the group occupied several parts of the country.
