'Lion of Mosul' Heroic Iraqi soldier infiltrates ISIS before gunning down SIX jihadis
A BRAVE Iraqi soldier who crept behind enemy lines has been dubbed the “Lion of Mosul” after details of his daring mission emerged.
Mohammed Qasim has been dubbed the Lion of Mosul for his courage
Mohammed Qasim infiltrated an ISIS militia group by disguising himself in a smock and scarf and successfully identified key machine gun and sniper hideouts.
He then gunned down six ISIS fighters before racing back to his commanders who shelled the positions and overwhelmed the jihadis in an infantry attack.
Mohammed’s act of heroism came as he fought with the SAS-trained Gold Divison of the Iraqi special forces in the closing days of the battle for Mosul.
Men emerge from rubble in the Iraqi city of Mosul
Mohammed Qasim disguised himself in a smock and scarf to get behind enemy lines
The advance into Mosul's Old City had been halted after they came under fire from ISIS, but could not figure out where from.
Commanders devised a plan for someone to infiltrate the militants and Mohammed volunteered, according to the Daily Mirror.
The mission, which a source said saved dozens of military and civilian lives, saw him promoted in the field to the rank of lieutenant.
Mohammed Qasim has been lauded by his comrades and commanding officers
We are all very proud of what this soldier did. He is a very brave man
General Abdul Wahab al-Saadi said: “We are all very proud of what this soldier did. He is a very brave man. He makes us all hold our heads up high.”
Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory in Mosul this week after a brutal eight month battle to recapture the city from ISIS fanatics.
Mosul has been reduced to rubble in eight months of brutal fighting
More than 2,000 ISIS fighters were killed in the fighting, while 1,000 Iraqi soldiers are reported to have died.
Thousands of civilians were also among the dead, either killed by ISIS as they attempted to flee, or killed by coalition forces in the crossfire.
Amnesty International has called for an investigation into the deaths, blaming coalition commanders for using excessively destructive weapons.