Iraqi soldier Mohamad al-Shuli blocked an Islamic State car bomb from reaching its target in an attempted suicide bombing operation in western Mosul’s al-Rifai neighborhood on May 16. Iraqi forces announced the capture of the area on May 17.
Mohamad al-Shuli sustained moderate injuries in the explosion and is recovering in a nearby hospital, according to local Iraqi journalist Omar al-Waili, who visited him shortly after the incident on May 16.
Lieutenant General Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah said on Wednesday that the entirety of the neighborhood was been cleared of IS fighters and Iraqi flags were raised atop a number of local buildings.