Old Bridge of Mosul completely destroyed by US-led international coalition air forces

A US-led international coalition air forces have bombarded on Sunday the Old Bridge of Mosul which links the city’s east and west, effectively disconnecting both sides of the Tigris River, according to a security source in Nineveh. “International coalition jets completely destroyed the old metal bridge linking the eastern and western shores,” said the source, explaining that the latest strike means that all of the five bridges linking the two sections are now completely destroyed. The bridge, which was constructed during British occupation, is the city’s oldest, and Islamic State militants resorted recently to booby-trap it to stymie advancement by Iraqi security troops. Coalition jets had only inflicted damage on the last old bridge in the last strike in November, with coalition commanders saying the strike was only meant to render the bridge unusable.
On Friday, the Defense Ministry’s War Media Cell said the number of districts recaptured from ISIS since operations launched mid October has so far reached at least 24.