ISIS using all-female sniper death squad in battle for Mosul as it’s revealed most of the jihadi fighters killed are foreign

ISIS is using a crack all-female squad of snipers in the battle for Mosul while the jihadi army is teeming with foreign fighters, Iraqi forces revealed.

Reporting from the frontline, Sun Man Owen Holdaway joined an Iraqi army squad as they face the sharpshooting female death squad.

The shocking revelation was made by Commander Haydar, the head of the Iraqi Army’s Emergency Response Division [ERD] sniper unit, which is battling its way through Mosul.

The 38-year-old said: “I have not seen them, but we have intelligence that there is a female ISIS sniper unit.”

He said it was not a new phenomenon, having seen a similar outfit fighting for the militants elsewhere in Iraq.

Haydar recalled: “I did see one in Ramadi though … there was Chinese woman sniper – she was playing with her hair on the rooftop when one my men took her out.”

There are thought to be around 2,000 ISIS fighters left in the city, many of whom are foreigners, the veteran soldier confirmed.

He said: “My men killed a lot this week, I think around five.

“But they were ALL foreign … most of their snipers [left] are Russian, Chechen or Afghan.”

Haydar’s sniper unit – paired with a mortar team – is picking its way through the city street by street as the army slowly clears out the jihadis.

The commander said: “I have twelve men [snipers]. They are like my babies – I protect them as if they are my own children.

“When we are deployed to any area I always go first to check it is safe.”

The unit is currently based on the southern outskirts of the old quarter of the city, west of the River Tigris.

The father of three explained: “We moved in here recently, but my men are deployed all over … whenever the order comes down, we go.”

The snipers, which are stationed in an abandoned four-story house, are regularly deployed to the surrounding area to provide cover for the advancing Iraqi forces.

Haydar explained: “We work on rotation. I have some men who are good snipers at night, whereas others I use during the daytime. But whenever we get the call we go.

“It is a tough [and] dangerous job but we must do it.”

But the unit’s job has become much more difficult of late as they have approached Mosul’s city centre.

An estimated 250,000 civilians are still trapped in the area, which makes clearing the remaining extremists a difficult task.

Haydar – known as the “Iraqi Tiger” by his comrades – said: “They are using the civilians and even the children as human shields … it is inhuman, they are animals.

“I have seen with my own eyes – children being FORCED to play in the streets just to prevent us from advancing.”

Showing a picture on his phone Haydar said: “Look, we saved this little girl only a few days ago, she was hit by one of their snipers when fleeing.”

He added: “It is different [now] … in Ramadi and Fallujah there weren’t really any civilians to worry about, but here they are everywhere.

“We could defeat them quickly if we did not have to worry about that.”

But despite the slow progress, spirits among this group of Iraqi fighters is still high.

Ali, the chief sniper trainer of the unit and Haydar’s deputy, says: “God willing, we will defeat them soon.

“They have nowhere to run to now they are trapped on ALL sides.”

This is a sentiment echoed by his commander, who says: “Yes, they have nowhere to run to. It is only a matter of time … soon Daesh (the Arabic term for ISIS) will be done in Iraq.”

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