Battle of Mosul: IS daeshbags have lost '800-900 fighters' - Polidicks

[URL="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-37786661"]Source.[/URL] [QUOTE]Between 800 and 900 Islamic State (IS) militants have been killed since Iraqi forces launched an offensive to retake Mosul last week, a top US general says. US Central Command chief Joseph Votel told AFP news agency it was hard to be precise as militants moved around the city and blended in with residents. Up to 5,000 IS fighters were thought to be in Mosul before the assault began. Since then, troops and allied fighters backed by US-led coalition air strikes have made gains on several axes. Commanders have nevertheless warned that securing Mosul could take weeks, if not months. About 50,000 Iraqi security forces personnel, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, Sunni Arab tribesmen and Shia militiamen are involved in the operation. More than 100 US military personnel are embedded with them, advising commanders and helping direct coalition air strikes. Other US troops are providing fire support from nearby bases. Gen Votel told AFP: "Just in the operations over the last week-and-a-half associated with Mosul, we estimate they've probably killed about 800-900 Islamic State fighters." The Iraqi government informed US commanders on Wednesday that 57 Iraqi soldiers had been killed and about 250 wounded. The Peshmerga are thought to have suffered about 20 to 30 fatalities.[/QUOTE]

I thought this was going to be a long, 6-12 month battle but it seems like it could be over by mid December, if not sooner, at this rate. If you average to 850, that's 17% of losses in just the first couple of weeks, nearly a fifth of their forces gone.

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;51268609]I thought this was going to be a long, 6-12 month battle but it seems like it could be over by mid December, if not sooner, at this rate. If you average to 850, that's 17% of losses in just the first couple of weeks, nearly a fifth of their forces gone.[/QUOTE] From the look of things, a lot of their original fighting force (which was supposed to be composed of experienced/decently trained fighters) has been depleted so that's probably playing a role in this. It's good to see their defense rapidly splintering apart but I get the feeling that if not properly stomped out they could make a resurgence as yet another insurgent movement and remain a threat to the region for years to come. Not to mention they might go to the extent of booby trapping locations across the city out of spite.

I'm worried that we have not destroyed all of the chemical weapon facilities during our air raids over the last few months. ISIS has a knack for building chlorine, mustard, and sarin weapons, and it'd be horrifying if some of these were used against the forces attempting to liberate Mosul.

[QUOTE=JoeSkylynx;51268890]I'm worried that we have not destroyed all of the chemical weapon facilities during our air raids over the last few months. ISIS has a knack for building chlorine, mustard, and sarin weapons, and it'd be horrifying if some of these were used against the forces attempting to liberate Mosul.[/QUOTE] The regulars are probably equipped with gas masks. US Army training, even for foreign forces, still probably involves gas drills. The irregulars may be pretty fucked though.

[QUOTE=JoeSkylynx;51268890]I'm worried that we have not destroyed all of the chemical weapon facilities during our air raids over the last few months. ISIS has a knack for building chlorine, mustard, and sarin weapons, and it'd be horrifying if some of these were used against the forces attempting to liberate Mosul.[/QUOTE] i havent heard of them employing sarin gas which would be a large technical leap but i have seen the mustard and chlorine which are both not that technically difficult to make, though they are both difficult to actually employ successfully

[QUOTE=Sableye;51268974]i havent heard of them employing sarin gas which would be a large technical leap but i have seen the mustard and chlorine which are both not that technically difficult to make, though they are both difficult to actually employ successfully[/QUOTE] You can make mustard gas in your kitchen with the right cleaning supplies.

Yes, but making it and storing it for later use are two different animals, particularly in quantity. Mustard gas in your kitchen will only kill you if you fail to open a window. It takes a lot more than mixing some cleaning supplies to generate a useful amount, and then you have to trap it without dying, store it without dying, and find a way to deploy it away from yourself.

[QUOTE=Grenadiac;51269209]Yes, but making it and storing it for later use are two different animals, particularly in quantity. Mustard gas in your kitchen will only kill you if you fail to open a window. It takes a lot more than mixing some cleaning supplies to generate a useful amount, and then you have to trap it without dying, store it without dying, and find a way to deploy it away from yourself.[/QUOTE] True, however they do have sort of an army. Not to mention "disposable" civilians, though I'm not sure even they would go that far.

[QUOTE=JoeSkylynx;51268890]I'm worried that we have not destroyed all of the chemical weapon facilities during our air raids over the last few months. ISIS has a knack for building chlorine, mustard, and sarin weapons, and it'd be horrifying if some of these were used against the forces attempting to liberate Mosul.[/QUOTE] Sarin? When where did they get ahold of sarin, they wouldn't need the other two if they have stocks of that.

the problem will be the cleaning of the city itself. They compensate their lack of numbers with filling every hole and every carrefour plastic bag on the street with IEDs. Man, I wouldn't like to be walking around that place after they have expelled ISIS. Things are going to be set off every minute or so. Plus, they must have planned from the beggining leaving a group of saboteurs behind lines to fuck up things. XXI Century warfare is just awesome.

[QUOTE=Cutthecrap;51269508]the problem will be the cleaning of the city itself. They compensate their lack of numbers with filling every hole and every carrefour plastic bag on the street with IEDs. Man, I wouldn't like to be walking around that place after they have expelled ISIS. Things are going to be set off every minute or so. Plus, they must have planned from the beggining leaving a group of saboteurs behind lines to fuck up things. XXI Century warfare is just awesome.[/QUOTE] It's not really something new to this decade in warfare. Insurgencies have been a thing for a long while, including saboteurs in them.

I'm more worried about the returning IS fighters.