fall of Mosul

{{See also|Anbar campaign (2013–2014)}}

Beginning in December 2013, ongoing clashes occurred between tribal militias, Iraqi security forces, and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) throughout western Iraq. In early January 2014, ISIL militants successfully captured the cities of Fallujah and Hīt,{{cite news|title=Iraq's Fallujah falls to 'Qaeda-linked' militants|url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Jan-04/243100-fallujah-outside-iraq-government-control-security-official.ashx#axzz2oNa3sbT8|access-date=10 June 2014|work=Daily Star|date=4 January 2014|archive-date=19 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019211355/http://www.dailystar.com.lb//News/Middle-East/2014/Jan-04/243100-fallujah-outside-iraq-government-control-security-official.ashx#axzz2oNa3sbT8|url-status=dead}} bringing much of Al Anbar Governorate under their control. The Iraqi Army then began conducting an offensive into Anbar in an attempt to retake the region. Iraqi forces recaptured Samarra on 5 June 2014,{{cite news|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2014-06/05/c_126584362.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140614014944/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2014-06/05/c_126584362.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 14, 2014 |title=80 killed in Iraq as security forces re-take city of Samarra|publisher=Xinhua|date=5 June 2014}} and also heavily shelled Fallujah to weaken the ISIL forces there. However, ISIL had made territorial advances in neighboring Syria, giving them access to more weapons{{cite news|title=Une province irakienne entière aux mains des jihadistes|url=http://www.liberation.fr/monde/2014/06/10/la-deuxieme-plus-grande-ville-d-irak-aux-mains-des-insurges_1037307|access-date=10 June 2014|agency=AFP|work=Liberation|date=10 June 2014|ref=lib|archive-date=13 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140613094357/http://www.liberation.fr/monde/2014/06/10/la-deuxieme-plus-grande-ville-d-irak-aux-mains-des-insurges_1037307|url-status=dead}} and substantially strengthening their position.

In early June, following the Iraqi Army's campaign in the Anbar region, insurgents began advancing into the central and northern parts of Iraq. During the advancement, Iraqi security forces killed ISIL military chief Abu Abdulrahman al-Bilawi on 4 June near Mosul. ISIL named the military operation that resulted in their seizure of Mosul "Bilawi Vengeance", a reference to their late commander's alias.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10956193/Revealed-the-Islamic-State-cabinet-from-finance-minister-to-suicide-bomb-deployer.html|title=Revealed: the Islamic State 'cabinet', from finance minister to suicide bomb deployer|date=9 July 2014|work=Telegraph|access-date=4 February 2015}} Just before the operation began, insurgents still controlled most of Fallujah and Garmah, as well as parts of Haditha, Jurf Al Sakhar, Anah, Qa'im, Abu Ghraib, and several smaller settlements in the Anbar Province.{{cite news|title=Iraq Update #42: Al-Qaeda in Iraq Patrols Fallujah; Aims for Ramadi, Mosul, Baghdad|url=http://iswiraq.blogspot.com/2014/01/iraq-update-42-al-qaeda-in-iraq-patrols.html|access-date=5 January 2014|publisher=Institute for the Study of War}}

File:Fall of Mosul.tiff

On 4 June, Iraqi police, under the command of Lieutenant General Mahdi Gharawi, cornered ISIL military leader Abu Abdulrahman al-Bilawi near Mosul,{{cite web|title=Revealed: the Islamic State 'cabinet', from finance minister to suicide bomb deployer|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10956193/Revealed-the-Islamic-State-cabinet-from-finance-minister-to-suicide-bomb-deployer.html|work=The Telegraph|access-date=17 April 2015}} in Iraq. Al-Bilawi blew himself up, and Gharawi hoped it would prevent an attack.{{cite news|title=Special report - How Mosul fell: An Iraqi general disputes Baghdad's story|date=14 October 2014 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-gharawi-special-report/special-report-how-mosul-fell-an-iraqi-general-disputes-baghdads-story-idUSKCN0I30Z820141014|work=Reuters|access-date=2022-10-01}}

At 2:30 in morning, ISIL convoys of pickup trucks, each truck carrying four fighters, entered Mosul by shooting at the city's checkpoints. Though Mosul's first line of defense was thought to contain 2,500 soldiers, Gharawi says that "reality was closer to 500". He noted that since all of the city's tanks were being used by Iraqi forces in Al Anbar Governorate, the city was left with little to combat the ISIL fighters. The insurgents hanged, burned, and crucified some Iraqi soldiers during their attack.

On 5 June, a curfew was imposed in the city.{{cite web|url=http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/06/11/3447508/half-a-million-iraqi-refugees-added-to-an-already-overburdened-region/|title=Half A Million Iraqi Refugees Added To An Already Overburdened Region|date=2014-06-11|access-date=2015-08-14|website=Think Progress|publisher=Center for American Progress Action Fund|last=Brown|first=Hayes}} The government used helicopters to bomb the militants. In the southern part of the city, five suicide bombers blasted an arsenal.{{cite web|title=Insurgents fight Iraqi forces in city of Mosul|url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-iraq-security-idUKKBN0EH1YD20140606 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018155049/http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-iraq-security-idUKKBN0EH1YD20140606 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 18, 2016 |publisher=Reuters|access-date=17 April 2015}}

On 6 June ISIL began their attack on the northwestern part of the city. The ISIL forces in the city totaled 1,500 militants, outnumbered by Iraqi forces by more than 15 to 1.{{cite journal|title=Terror's new headquarters|url=https://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21604160-iraqs-second-city-has-fallen-group-wants-create-state-which-wage-jihad|journal=Economist|access-date=17 April 2015}} Two suicide bomber cars exploded, in Muwaffakiya, a village near Mosul, killing six Shabak soldiers. After the attacks, most of the fighters either retreated into the desert or camouflaged among the local population.

On 8 June, the group launched a double bomb attack against a Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party office in Jalawla, in which eighteen people died.{{cite web|title=Bombing of PUK HQ in Diyala leaves 18 dead|url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Jun-08/259301-double-bombing-at-party-office-kills-19-in-iraq.ashx|work=Daily Star|access-date=17 April 2015|archive-date=12 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140612013340/http://dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Jun-08/259301-double-bombing-at-party-office-kills-19-in-iraq.ashx|url-status=dead}} That day, about a hundred vehicles entered Mosul, carrying at least four hundred men. Sleeper cells hidden within the city were then activated and according to police, "neighbourhoods rallied to them". Assassinations carried out by the sleeper cells left Mosul leaderless.[http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/07/06/five-hostages Five Hostages], The New Yorker The group also bombed a police station in the neighborhood of al-Uraybi, and encircled an abandoned building on the west of Tigris River being used as a headquarters for a group of thirty police officers.

On 9 June, ISIL executed fifteen Iraqi security force members who were captured in Tikrit.{{cite web|title=Iraq crisis: ISIS militants push towards Baghdad -June 13 as it happened|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10892299/Iraq-crisis-ISIS-militants-push-towards-Baghdad-as-it-happened.html|work=The Telegraph|access-date=17 April 2015}} According to CBS News, ISIL fighters armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades stormed the Nineveh provincial headquarters that same day. By that time, the Fourth Battalion were among the last local police fighting the attackers, the rest of the defense forces having run away or joined the opposition. Lacking plans and ammunition, Gharawi ordered the Iraqi military to retreat on the advice of retired general Khaled al-Obeidi. On that same night, ISIL and Sunni militants attacked Mosul, causing heavy fighting overnight. Iraqi Army soldiers fled the city while it was under attack, allowing the militants to control much of Mosul by midday on 10 June.{{cite news|last1=Fahim|first1=Kareem|last2=Al-Salhy|first2=Suadad|title=Sunni Militants Drive Iraqi Army Out of Mosul|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/11/world/middleeast/militants-in-mosul.html|access-date=10 June 2014|work=The New York Times|date=10 June 2014}} The militants seized numerous facilities, including Mosul International Airport, which had served as a hub for the U.S. military in the region.{{cite news|last1=Sly|first1=Liz|last2=Ramadan|first2=Ahmed|title=Insurgents seize Iraqi city of Mosul as troops flee|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/insurgents-seize-iraqi-city-of-mosul-as-troops-flee/2014/06/10/21061e87-8fcd-4ed3-bc94-0e309af0a674_story.html|access-date=10 June 2014|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=10 June 2014}} Militants captured the helicopters present at the airport, in addition to "several villages" and a military airbase in south Saladin Governorate.{{cite web|title=Iraqi city of Mosul falls to jihadists|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/iraq-city-of-mosul-falls-into-hands-of-isis-jihadists-after-police-army-abandon-posts/|work=CBS News|access-date=17 April 2015}} The Iraqi army "crumbled in the face of the militant assault", which is evidenced by the fact that soldiers abandoned their weapons and dressed as civilians to blend in with the noncombatants.

The city fell to the ISIL on 10 June 2014 after four days of clashes between the insurgents and the Iraqi military. There were reports that the group was advancing from Mosul to Kirkuk at the time. While capturing the city, the group freed nearly 1,000 prisoners, some of whom were greeted by the fighters.{{cite news|title=Isis insurgents seize control of Iraqi city of Mosul|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/10/iraq-sunni-insurgents-islamic-militants-seize-control-mosul|work=The Guardian|date=10 June 2014 |access-date=17 April 2015|last1=Chulov |first1=Martin }} Black flags were also flown over government buildings.{{cite news|title=Mosul falls to militants, Iraqi forces flee northern city|date=10 June 2014 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-security-idUSKBN0EL1H520140610|work=Reuters|access-date=17 April 2015}}

{{Further|Northern Iraq offensive (June 2014)}}

File:Islamic State Militant Activity In Iraq Syria and Lebanon VOA.png control and activity in Syria and Iraq by May 2015]]

On 11 June, Mujahideen entered the oil refinery town of Baiji, seizing and setting its main courthouse and police station on fire. The militants, who were travelling in a group of around 60 vehicles, also took control of the Baiji prison and freed all the inmates within. Local residents told members of the media that ISIL sent a group of local tribal chiefs ahead of them, trying to convince the 250 guards at the oil plant to withdraw. Soldiers and police were also warned to leave the area.{{cite news|title=Half a million flee unrest in Iraq's Mosul|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/06/tens-thousands-flee-unrest-iraq-mosul-201461175824711415.html|access-date=11 June 2014|date=11 June 2014|publisher=Al Jazeera}}{{cite news|title=Al-Qaeda splinter group captures Iraqi oil refinery town|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/al-qaeda-splinter-group-captures-iraqi-oil-refinery-town-1.2671735|access-date=11 June 2014|date=11 June 2014|publisher=CBC News}} Al Jazeera claimed that later that day, militants retreated from Baiji after reinforcements from the Iraqi Army's Fourth Armored Division arrived in the city.{{cite news|title=Iraqi city of Tikrit falls to ISIL fighters|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/06/iraqi-city-tikrit-falls-isil-fighters-2014611135333576799.html|access-date=11 June 2014|date=11 June 2014|publisher=Al Jazeera}}

That day, ISIL members also seized the Turkish consulate in Mosul, kidnapping 49 Turkish employees, including the Consul General, three children, and several members of the Turkish Special Forces. Reports suggested that the abducted were taken to a nearby militant base and were unharmed. An unnamed Turkish official confirmed that the government was in contact with ISIL. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held an emergency meeting with members of the National Intelligence Agency (MIT) and Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay to discuss the situation. The attack came a day after 28 Turkish truck drivers were abducted by militants while delivering fuel to a power plant in Mosul.{{cite news|title=ISIL fighters seize 48 Turks at consulate in Iraq's Mosul|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/news-350080-isil-fighters-seize-48-turks-at-consulate-in-iraqs-mosul.html|access-date=11 June 2014|date=11 June 2014|work=Today's Zaman|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140616012448/http://www.todayszaman.com/news-350080-isil-fighters-seize-48-turks-at-consulate-in-iraqs-mosul.html|archive-date=16 June 2014|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/isil-kidnaps-turkish-consul-special-forces-several-others-in-iraq.aspx?pageID=238&nID=67660&NewsCatID=352|title=ISIL kidnaps Turkish consul, special forces, children in northern Iraqi hotspot |date=June 11, 2014|work=Hurriyet Daily News}}

After seizing control of Mosul, ISIL forces executed an estimated 4,000 Iraqi Security Force prisoners, and dumped their bodies in the single largest known mass grave in Iraq, at the Khafsa Sinkhole. This mass grave was later uncovered during the Battle of Mosul (2016–2017).[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/02/25/horror-mosul-sinkhole-became-biggest-mass-grave-iraq/ Horror of Mosul where sinkhole became mass grave for 4,000 of Isil's victims]

Insurgents took full control of Tikrit on the evening of 11 June. Local officials reported that checkpoints had been set up around the city, and that at least 300 inmates had been freed from the city's prisons, many of them serving sentences under terrorism charges.{{cite news|title=Insurgents overrun parts of Iraqi city of Tikrit|url=http://www.trust.org/item/20140611125744-34r69|access-date=11 June 2014|date=11 June 2014|publisher=Trust.org|agency=Reuters|archive-date=12 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140612164357/http://www.trust.org/item/20140611125744-34r69|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|title=Iraq's Tikrit falls to militants: police|url=http://dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Jun-11/259731-iraqs-tikrit-falls-to-militants-police.ashx#ixzz34L6aWB00|access-date=11 June 2014|date=11 June 2014|work=Daily Star Lebanon}}

In response to the fall of Mosul and its aftermath, the Iraqi government said that it would arm its civilians and its parliament would declare a state of emergency. The government also spoke of a plan to reorganize its military, involving a collaboration between tribal people and the U.S. military.

{{See also|Mosul offensive (2015)|Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)}}

The U.S. State Department said that it was "deeply concerned" and that it felt that the situation was "extremely serious". The State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said, "This growing threat exemplifies the need for Iraqis from all communities to work together to confront this common enemy and isolate these militant groups from the broader population".

Usama al-Nujayfi, a speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, who hailed from Mosul said that "what happened is a disaster by any standard". He also criticized the "negligence" of the army as they withdrew from the city. Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, also asked for "help" from "friendly governments".{{cite news|title=Sunni Militants Drive Iraqi Army Out of Mosul|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/11/world/middleeast/militants-in-mosul.html|work=The New York Times|date=10 June 2014 |access-date=17 April 2015|last1=Al-Salhy |first1=Suadad |last2=Arango |first2=Tim }}

A Mosul-based businessman commented that the "city fell like a plane without an engine" as "they were firing their weapons into the air, but no one was shooting at them". One officer told Reuters that "they [ISIL militants] appear, strike and disappear in seconds."

UNESCO is leading an initiative called "revive the spirit of Mosul", with a budget of US$105.5 million to help rebuild the country. This project was financed by 15 UNESCO partners. The United Arab Emirates is supporting the rehabilitation of the Al Nouri Mosque and the Al-Hadba minaret, Al Saa'a Church and Al Tahera Church (US$38.5 million) and the European Union is supporting the reconstruction of houses and schools in the Old City of Mosul and Basra (US$38.5 million).{{Cite web |title=Revive the Spirit of Mosul |url=https://www.unesco.org/en/revive-mosul?hub=1067 |access-date=3 June 2023 |website=UNESCO}}

According to Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, "Reconstruction will succeed and Iraq will regain its influence only if the human dimension is given priority; education and culture are the key elements. They are forces of unity and reconciliation."{{Cite web |last=Al-Oraibi |first=Mina |date=2018-02-19 |title=Reconstruction isn't just about rebuilding Iraq, it is an exercise in nation-building too |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/opinion/comment/reconstruction-isn-t-just-about-rebuilding-iraq-it-is-an-exercise-in-nation-building-too-1.705753 |access-date=2023-06-03 |website=The National |language=en}}

The initiative not only involves rebuilding infrastructure, but also aims to revive disappearing traditional arts and crafts.{{Cite web |last= |date=2022-04-18 |title=‘Living history’: meet the Mosul residents rebuilding their city |url=https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2022/04/18/living-history-meet-the-mosul-residents-rebuilding-their-city |access-date=2023-06-03 |website=The Art Newspaper - International art news and events}}

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• Sinjar massacre
• Northern Iraq offensive (August 2014)
• December 2014 Sinjar offensive
• November 2015 Sinjar offensive
• Fall of Hīt (2014)
• Battle of Baiji (2014–2015)
• Battle of Ramadi (2014–2015)
• Mosul offensive (2015)
• Second Battle of Tikrit
• Fall of Nofaliya (2015)
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Category:Battles of the War in Iraq (2013–2017)

Category:Battles in 2014

Mosul

Category:June 2014 in Iraq

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Category:Military operations of the Iraqi Civil War in 2014

Category:Military operations of the War in Iraq (2013–2017) involving the Iraqi government

Category:Military operations of the War in Iraq (2013–2017) involving the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant