Iraq hospital brimming with Mosul civilian, army casualties

Doctors in the main hospital treating trauma victims from the battle for Mosul say they are overflowing with casualties, both civilians and soldiers.

Irbil (Iraq), Nov 28: Doctors in the main hospital treating trauma victims from the battle for Mosul say they are overflowing with casualties, both civilians and soldiers.

Speaking late today, Marwan Ghafuri of the West Irbil Hospital said the location, the main triage center for trauma cases from Iraq's second-largest city, is seeing 100 to 150 patients daily.

He said the site "does not have enough beds" in the emergency room, but that authorities were expecting the tide to stay similar for three months.

The offensive to free Mosul of Islamic State militants is now in its second month, and progress has slowed as troops try to avoid mass civilian casualties.

The military officially bans reporting on its numbers of killed and injured, although field medics have noted at least dozens.

AP