Baghdad (Fides Service)- “Things are a little quieter thank goodness. Some parts of the city are calm although in other districts fighting continues” Father Nizar Semaan told Fides, after contacting people in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. “Now that the regular security forces have regained control of most police posts, people are daring to venture into the streets” Father Nizar said “but it will be some time before things return to normal”.
Last week nearly every police post in Mosul was taken by extremists (see Fides 22 November 2004), and the city was in chaos.
However the situation is still tense. Yesterday, 28 November, security forces discovered 17 corpses of the members of the National Iraqi Guard, captured and killed in the recent raids. According to international sources this brings the total number of corpses found in Mosul to 57.
Mosul, situated 370 km north of the capital, Baghdad, has a population of over one million. The city is presently presided by 1,200 US soldiers and 1,600 Iraqi security forces. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 29/11/2004 righe 18 parole 214)