MOSCOW, November 6. /TASS/. The operation against Islamic State terrorists conducted by the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq’s Mosul in conditions of absolute information blockade has tuned into a medieval massacre, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Sunday.
"The operation is being conducted in conditions of absolute information blockade as the coalition provides no reliable information about what is going on there. It is absolutely not clear whether the coalition forces are advancing or retreating, how efficient their tactic is, what are their losses, how many sorties were flown and by whom," she wrote on her Facebook account.
Civilians, according to Zakharova, are dying from the actions of both militants and the coalition forces confronting them making a "medieval massacre" of the anti-terrorist operation. The situation is worsened by the lack of systemic approach to evacuation of civilians. "It has turned out that no comprehensive plan for the evacuation of civilians has been elaborated. Nothing like humanitarian corridors has been provided," she stressed.
A ground operation to liberate Mosul from terrorists of Islamic State began on October 17. It involves the Iraqi troops, Kurdish units and the US-led coalition. Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city with a population of 1.3 million, has been controlled by Islamic State (a terrorist organization outlawed in Russia) for over two years. According to the Iraqi military, from 5,000 to 6,000 militants are holding the city. On October 31, Iraqi’s forces began assaulting the city.