Siege of Mosul

Siege of Mosul
Conflict	Siege of Mosul
Partof	Iraq War and Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011)
Date	2014–2017
Place	Mosul, Nineveh Governorate, Iraq
Result	Victory for Iraqi Armed Forces and allies; recapture of Mosul from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Combatant1	Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Combatant2	Iraqi Armed Forces, Peshmerga, Popular Mobilization Forces, United States Armed Forces, United Kingdom Armed Forces, French Armed Forces, International Coalition
Commander1	Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi; Abu Muslim al-Turkmani (deceased)
Commander2	Haider al-Abadi, Qassim al-Moussawi, Vučić
Casualties1	estimated thousands killed
Casualties2	several hundred killed
Casualties3	tens of thousands of civilians displaced

Siege of Mosul

The Siege of Mosul (2014–2017) was the multi-stage military campaign and encirclement culminating in the liberation of Mosul from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant by Iraqi, Kurdish, Shiite, and international coalition forces. The operation involved the Iraqi Army, Peshmerga, Popular Mobilization Forces, and air, advisory, and logistical support from the United States Armed Forces, United Kingdom Armed Forces, French Armed Forces, and other partners. Extensive urban combat, siege warfare, and asymmetric tactics produced significant military, political, and humanitarian consequences for Iraq, Nineveh Governorate, and regional actors including Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.

Background

By 2014, Mosul had become the largest urban prize captured during the rapid expansion of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant across Iraq and Syria following the fall of Fallujah and the collapse of provincial defenses. The group's declaration of a caliphate by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi amplified its standing in Salafi jihadism and attracted foreign fighters from Tunisia, Libya, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Chechnya. Prior campaigns such as the Iraqi insurgency (2011–2013) and the Anbar campaign (2013–14) weakened Iraqi Armed Forces cohesion, while political disputes between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government affected coordination with the Peshmerga. International concern and the formation of a multinational coalition led by the United States Armed Forces set conditions for a future attempt to encircle and retake Mosul.

Belligerents and Forces

Opposing the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant defenders were diverse actors: the Iraqi Armed Forces (including the Iraqi Army and Counter-Terrorism Service), the Peshmerga of the Kurdistan Regional Government, and the Popular Mobilization Forces (an umbrella of Shiite militias such as Hashd al-Shaabi). Airpower, intelligence, and special operations contributions came from the United States Armed Forces, United Kingdom Armed Forces, French Armed Forces, Canada, Australia, and members of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. Local governance actors—Nineveh Provincial Council, municipal authorities of Mosul, and tribal leaders from Al-Jubouri and Al-Qaqa'eli—influenced recruitment and territorial control. Command coordination involved Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and senior commanders from Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service like Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis (PMF linkage) and coalition advisors embedded with ISOF elements.

Course of the Siege

Initial encirclement phases began with Iranian-backed militia advances in the west and Peshmerga operations to the north, while Iraqi forces advanced from the east and south in a campaign culminating in the Battle of Mosul (2016–17). Coalition airstrikes targeted ISIL command nodes, logistics, and improvised explosive factories identified near Tal Afar, Hamdaniya District, and the Tigris River crossings. Urban fighting featured house-to-house clearing in neighborhoods such as Old Mosul, Al-Tahrir, and Al-Shifa, with multiple offensives: eastern Mosul liberation, western Mosul push, and the final encirclement of the Old City. High-profile engagements included sieges of Mosul University and Al-Nuri Mosque, where the destruction of the mosque and the death of historic artifacts were widely reported. The campaign integrated siege tactics—cutting supply lines, targeted raids, and psychological operations—while ISIL employed booby-traps, tunnels, and human shields.

Humanitarian Impact and Civilian Conditions

The siege generated catastrophic humanitarian consequences for residents of Nineveh, Mosul, and displaced populations sent to camps like Khazir and Al-Hamdaniya Camp. Displacement waves affected internally displaced persons registered with the Iraq Humanitarian Response and international agencies including United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, International Committee of the Red Cross, UNHCR, and Médecins Sans Frontières. Civilian casualties, shortages of food and water, destruction of hospitals like Al-Jumhuri and clinics, and unexploded ordnance created long-term public health crises involving World Health Organization responses and vaccination campaigns. Cultural heritage losses affected sites catalogued by UNESCO and inventory managed by regional museums in Mosul Museum and the Iraq Museum.

Military Tactics and Weaponry

Urban siege tactics combined conventional mechanized assaults by Iraqi Army brigades and asymmetric operations by Counter-Terrorism Service units and Peshmerga infantry. Coalition airpower used precision-guided munitions supplied by Raytheon, BAE Systems-supported platforms, and ordnance coordinated through Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve. ISIL countermeasures included suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (SVBIEDs), anti-aircraft engagements, snipers, tunnel warfare, and weaponized drones obtained via black-market networks and captured arsenals from Iraqi military stockpiles and Syrian battlefield captures. Electronic warfare, signals intelligence from National Security Agency-allied assets, and close air support tactics shaped the tempo of operations; special forces engagements emphasized direct-action raids and hostage rescue linked to Coalition Special Operations doctrine.

Aftermath and Reconstruction

Following liberation, governance challenges included rebuilding municipal services in Mosul, demining efforts by United Nations Mine Action Service, housing reconstruction, and legal processes for suspected ISIL collaborators adjudicated under Iraqi courts and the Iraqi High Tribunal frameworks. International donors such as the World Bank, United Nations Development Programme, European Union, and bilateral partners committed reconstruction funds, while NGOs and local councils coordinated return of displaced families. Cultural restoration projects targeted artifacts and sites from the Mosul Museum and Great Mosque of al-Nuri reconstruction. Politically, the siege's outcome influenced Iraqi national elections, sectarian dynamics involving Sunni communities in Nineveh, relations between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government, and regional security dialogues between Turkey and Iran over post-conflict stabilization.

Category:Battles of the Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017)