Isis blowing up Grand al-Nuri Mosque in Mosul is ‘formal declaration of defeat’, says Iraqi PM

By blowing up the Grand al-Nuri Mosque of Mosul and its famous leaning minaret, Isis has issued a “formal declaration of defeat,” Iraq’s Prime Minister has said.  Haider al-Abadi said the destruction was an admission the militants are losing the fight for Iraq’s second largest city.

“Daesh’s bombing of the al-Hadba minaret and the al-Nuri Mosque is a formal declaration of their defeat,” Mr al-Abadi said, using the Arabic acronym for Isis.

Isis “terror gangs committed another historical crime by blowing up the al-Nuri mosque and its historical al-Habda minaret”, the Iraqi military said in a statement.

The mosque was named after a noble who fought in the early crusades and had stood for more than 840 years.

The minaret, which leaned like Italy’s Tower of Pisa, gave the landmark its popular name: al-Hadba, or the hunchback.

Source: Isis blowing up Grand al-Nuri Mosque in Mosul is ‘formal declaration of defeat’, says Iraqi PM | The Independent