Destroying Mosul mosque is ‘Isis declaring defeat’

The destruction of the Great Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul is an acceptance by Islamic State militants that they are losing the battle for the city. The mosque, one of Islam’s most venerated sites, has been destroyed by explosions as Iraqi forces fought Isis fighters nearby. Abadi said: “Daesh’s [Islamic State’s] bombing of the al-Hadba minaret and the al-Nuri mosque is a formal declaration of their defeat.” Iraq’s military holds Isis responsible for levelling the mosque, almost three years after its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, proclaimed himself as leader of a new Islamic caliphate on a pulpit inside. The terrorist group said US-led airstrikes had caused the damage, although the US military denied it had carried out airstrikes in the area. Joseph Martin, commanding general of the US-led coalition fighting Isis, said: “As our Iraqi security force [ISF] partners closed in on the al-Nuri mosque, Isis destroyed one of Mosul and Iraq’s great treasures. This is a crime against the people of Mosul and all of Iraq, and is an example of why this brutal organisation must be annihilated. “The responsibility of this devastation is laid firmly at the doorstep of Isis, and we continue to support our Iraqi partners as they bring these terrorists to justice. However, the battle for the liberation of Mosul is not yet complete, and we remain focused on supporting the ISF with that objective in mind.”