Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) Aerial view photos have show damage dealt to the five bridges connecting the east and west banks of Tigris River in Mosul by US-led aircraft.

The images, posted by the US-based think-tank, Stratfor, show the damage sustained by the bridges in operations seeking to close in on Islamic State militants in the east, where Iraqi troops have been advancing and clearing villages from the militant group since the launch of their major operation mid October.

Commanders at the US-spearheaded Global Coalition to Counter ISIL have recently clarified that airstrikes against the bridges were aimed at rendering them unusable, rather than to completely demolish them.

There are, however, fears that the damage could hinder attempts by civilians in the city to flee from ISIS’s grip, especially with estimates noting that more than one million civilians are currently within the group’s hold to use them as future human shields.









