A car bomb has struck a restaurant in Mosul, locals reported on the evening of Thursday, November 8. It struck near a restaurant according to sources. The Ministry of Defense in Iraq also confirmed the bombing. Two were initially reported killed and a dozen wounded.
It exploded next to a restaurant called Abu Layla ( ابو ليلى) in western Mosul, what is called the "Right bank (ايمن الموصل)" not far from the old city in an area called Al-Jadeeda (Jadida). This is near the Abu Tammam telecommunication center. A photo from the scene showed a destroyed car and security officers nearby. Conflicting reports said there were more killed than official reports indicate. For instance the official report says that the bomb was a "sticky bomb."
Mosul Eye, the blog, noted that this was the second case of terror in a. week. A Facebook page that follows Mosul noted that civil defense had arrived to put out the fire and help people. It placed the address of the attack on Baghdad road, one of the major thoroughfares of western Mosul.
Coalition airstrikes target ISIS near Mosul in October
The US-led Coalition against ISIS continues to carry out operations against the extremists near Mosul, showing their continued presence and threat. According to the recent strike data (full list here), several strikes were carried out in the last weeks of October. "On Oct. 25 in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted one strike consisting of five engagements against ISIS targets. Near Tel Afer, one strike destroyed two caves and damaged three tunnels."
Then on Oct. 27 in Iraq, "coalition military forces conducted three strikes consisting of five engagements against ISIS targets: Near Kirkuk and Al Anbar, three strikes destroyed three bed down locations, two caves and destroyed one bunker."
Mosul was fully liberated from ISIS in July 2017 and terror attacks have been rare. However ISIS activity in the desert area west of Mosul and south of Mosul is still regularly reported and the security forces have sought to track down ISIS cells. There was a bombing in Qayyara, south of Mosul, last month and two bombings in September in the regions near Mosul.
Last year during the liberation from ISIS a bomb targeted the Sayyedati Al-Jameela (Fair lady) restaurant. “They don’t want stability. They don’t want life to return to Mosul,” a local man said to Reuters about Islamic State, which claimed the attacks. “I don’t feel safe at all.”
The ISIS threats appear to be increasing since the summer. Attempts to penetrate Mosul and Nineveh plains conjure up memories of the waves of terror of the last decade and a half.
Key words: Mosul Car Bombing ISIS 2018