BAGHDAD (AP) — The U.N. cultural agency has discovered five bombs hidden within the walls of the historic al-Nouri Mosque in the city of Mosul in northern Iraq, a remnant of the Islamic State militant group’s rule over the area, UNESCO said in a statement Saturday.
The mosque, famous for its 12th-century leaning minaret, was destroyed by IS in 2017 and has been a focal point of UNESCO’s restoration efforts since 2020.
The U.N. agency said that five large-scale explosive devices, designed for significant destruction, were found inside the southern wall of the Prayer Hall on Tuesday.
“These explosive devices were concealed within a specially rebuilt section of the wall,” the statement said. “Iraqi authorities were promptly notified, secured the area, and the situation is now fully under control.”
It added that “one bomb has been defused and removed, while the remaining four are interconnected and will be safely disposed of in the coming days.”
Iraqi authorities have requested that UNESCO halt all reconstruction operations at al-Nouri mosque and evacuate the entire complex until the devices are disarmed.
IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared an Islamic caliphate from the mosque a decade ago on June 29, 2014, leading to its destruction when extremists blew it up during the battle to liberate Mosul in 2017.
The discovery of these bombs underscores ongoing challenges in clearing Mosul of explosives and revitalizing its devastated urban areas.
International efforts, supported by the United Nations, focus on mine clearance and aiding in the city’s recovery. Despite progress, much of Mosul’s old city remains in ruins, marked by minefield warning signs, highlighting the complexity of post-conflict reconstruction.
UNESCO aims to complete the full reconstruction of al-Nouri Mosque by December, “finally erasing the stigma of the Daesh occupation,” the statement said, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group's name.
A decade after the Islamic State group declared its caliphate in large parts of Iraq and Syria, the extremists no longer control any land, have lost many prominent leaders and are mostly out of the world news headlines.
Still, the group continues to recruit members and claim responsibility for deadly attacks around the world, including lethal operations in Iran and Russia earlier this year that left scores dead. Its sleeper cells in Syria and Iraq still carry out attacks against government forces in both countries as well as U.S.-backed Syrian fighters, at a time when Iraq’s government is negotiating with Washington over a possible withdrawal of U.S. troops.
File - Fleeing Iraqi civilians walk past the heavily damaged al-Nuri mosque as smoke rises in the background in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq, Tuesday, July 4, 2017. The United Nations cultural agency has discovered five bombs hidden within the walls the historic al-Nouri Mosque in the city of Mosul in northern Iraq, a remnant of the Islamic State militant group's rule over the area, UNESCO said in a statement Saturday, June 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)
File - Fleeing Iraqi civilians walk past the heavily damaged al-Nuri mosque as smoke rises in the background in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq, Tuesday, July 4, 2017. The United Nations cultural agency has discovered five bombs hidden within the walls the historic al-Nouri Mosque in the city of Mosul in northern Iraq, a remnant of the Islamic State militant group's rule over the area, UNESCO said in a statement Saturday, June 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)
File - Shows an aerial view of the destroyed landmark al-Nuri mosque in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq. Wednesday, June 28, 2017. The United Nations cultural agency has discovered five bombs hidden within the walls the historic al-Nouri Mosque in the city of Mosul in northern Iraq, a remnant of the Islamic State militant group's rule over the area, UNESCO said in a statement Saturday, June 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)
FILE - In this July 4, 2017, file photo, fleeing Iraqi civilians walk past the heavily damaged al-Nuri mosque as Iraqi forces continue their advance against Islamic State militants in Iraq's Old City of Mosul. The U.N. cultural agency has discovered five bombs hidden within the walls of the historic al-Nouri Mosque in the city of Mosul in northern Iraq, a remnant of the Islamic State militant group’s rule over the area, UNESCO said in a statement Saturday. The mosque, famous for its 12th-century leaning minaret, was destroyed by IS in 2017 and has been a focal point of UNESCO’s restoration efforts since 2020. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)
NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania (AP) — Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani will be reelected, provisional results from all polling stations showed on Sunday, after positioning the country as a strategic ally of the West in a region swept by coups and violence.
Ghazouani, who campaigned on a pledge of providing security and economic growth, obtained 56.1% of votes, the country’s independent electoral commission said late on Saturday. His main rival, anti-slavery activist Biram Dah Abeid, received 22.1% of votes, but earlier on Sunday rejected the results, alleging fraud.
The country's constitutional court is now expected to review the results to announce the final outcome of the election, but it remained unclear when it would happen.
The turnout was 54% of the two million eligible voters, the commission said.
Although his opponents accused him of corruption and mismanagement, Ghazouani, a former army chief, remains popular among Mauritanians who see him as a beacon of stability. The vote is taking place in a tense regional climate, with Mauritania’s neighbors shaken by military coups and jihadi violence.
Mauritania is rich in natural resources including iron ore, copper, zinc, phosphate, gold, oil and natural gas. It is poised to become a gas producer by the end of the year, with the planned launch of the BP-operated Greater Tortue Ahmeyin offshore gas project on the border with Senegal.
Yet almost 60% of the population lives in poverty, according to the United Nations, working as farmers or employed informally. With few economic opportunities for young people at home, many are attempting to reach Europe, and some are even trying to get to the United States through Mexico.
“The last word belongs to the Mauritanian voters,” Ghazouni said after voting in Ksar, a suburb of the capital. “I commit myself to respecting their choice.”
Saturday’s vote unfolded peacefully, according to observers.
“Nothing has been detected so far and the CENI has not received any complaints,” said Taghioullah Ledhem, the spokesman for CENI, the country’s independent electoral commission.
But some opposition candidates held a different view. CENI is made up of representatives of political parties and its president is appointed by the government, and some accused it of colliding with Ghazouani's regime.
Biram Dah, who came second in the vote, rejected the provisional results and warned of an "electoral coup d’état for the benefit of Ghazouani, who was defeated by voters.”
During a press conference Sunday morning, he accused the electoral commission of fraud by giving Ghazouni thousands of votes “out of nowhere.”
Speaking later on Sunday from his home in Riadh, a poor suburb of the Mauritanian capital, he called for civil disobedience and appealed to the military and security forces to not "accept being used by the government against the people.”
“The battle is not over, we are not defeated,” he said. “The people are not defeated and will not be defeated, we are there to defend the people until the last drop of blood.”
The African Union sent an observation mission to Saturday’s vote but have yet to release their statement.
Presidential candidate Biram Ould Dah Ould Abeid, center, takes part in a rally among his supporters, ahead of the presidential election end of the month, in Nouakchott, Mauritania, Monday, June 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Mamsy Elkeihel)
A supporter of presidential candidate Biram Ould Dah Ould Abeid, holds his poster during his campaign rally ahead of the presidential election end of the month, in Nouakchott, Mauritania, Monday, June 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Mamsy Elkeihel)
Youth take part in an electoral rally ahead of the upcoming presidential elections in Nouakchott, Mauritania, Tuesday, June 25, 2024. Banner in Arabic reads "For the youth." (AP Photo/Mamsy Elkeihel)
An electoral banner for Mauritanian president Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, is seen ahead of the presidential elections in Nouakchott, Mauritania, Tuesday, June 25, 2024. Banner in Arabic reads "I will work on building a complete sewage network in Nouakchott." (AP Photo/Mamsy Elkeihel)
Presidential candidate Biram Ould Dah Ould Abeid, left, takes part in a rally among his supporters, ahead of the presidential election end of the month, in Nouakchott, Mauritania, Monday, June 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Mamsy Elkeihel)
A woman sorts out ballot papers, during the presidential election, in Nouakchott, Mauritania, Saturday, June 29, 2024. Mauritanians are voting for their next president, with the incumbent Mohamed Ould Ghazouani widely expected to win the vote after positioning Mauritania as a strategic ally of the West in a region swept by coups and violence. (AP Photo/Mamsy Elkeihel)
A woman casts her ballot during the presidential election, in Nouakchott, Mauritania, Saturday, June 29, 2024. Mauritanians are voting for their next president, with the incumbent Mohamed Ould Ghazouani widely expected to win the vote after positioning Mauritania as a strategic ally of the West in a region swept by coups and violence. (AP Photo/Mamsy Elkeihel)
People wait outside a polling station to vote , during the presidential election, in Nouakchott, Mauritania, Saturday, June 29, 2024. Mauritanians are voting for their next president, with the incumbent Mohamed Ould Ghazouani widely expected to win the vote after positioning Mauritania as a strategic ally of the West in a region swept by coups and violence. (AP Photo/Mamsy Elkeihel)
A man casts his ballot, during the presidential election, in Nouakchott, Mauritania, Saturday, June 29, 2024. Mauritanians are voting for their next president, with the incumbent Mohamed Ould Ghazouani widely expected to win the vote after positioning Mauritania as a strategic ally of the West in a region swept by coups and violence. (AP Photo/Mamsy Elkeihel)
