Danger stalks Iraqi police at former ISIS camp
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At a former Islamic State training camp, Iraqi police dodge snipers' bullets and explosives dropped from drones by the militants.
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MOSUL, IRAQ (REUTERS) - Iraqi families used to stroll through this park in Mosul. Then it became a training ground for Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants.
It was recaptured during the three-month drive to push the militants from the eastern half of the city, which had been taken in 2014.
Iraqi police now hold the camp, but they are far from safe.
The militants remain determined; their snipers close by and highly experienced.
Lieutenant Colonel Falah Hammad Hindi, head of the Emergency Unit in Nineveh's fifth division of Iraqi Police, said: "Islamic State used this entire area as a training ground. The area was cordoned off to train the members of the groups on how to snipe, use mortars, and for physical training."
Locals in western Mosul inform the police about the sniper's positions, which are about 500m away across the Tigris river. Most are foreign fighters, police say.
The militants also send drones over the park to carry out surveillance and drop explosives.
The battle for western Mosul comes next; The campaign will likely involve far tougher and more complex street fighting because the west's narrow streets mean far fewer tanks and armoured vehicles can be deployed against ISIS.
The militants are also expected to put up a much fiercer fight in the western half of Mosul because the battle will determine whether their self-proclaimed caliphate will survive.
"They have no escape route in the west so they will fight to the death," said Lieutenant Colonel Falah.
