IS OPENS LUXURY HOTEL IN MOSUL
- Source: Islamic State via justpaste.it (Confirmed)
- Location: Mosul (Confirmed)
- Date: May 2, 2015 (Corroborated)
IS reopened the Nineveh International Hotel in Mosul at the beginning of May 2015, according to local activist reports. The hotel had previously been featured in propaganda footage released by the militant group. Storyful verified eyewitness footage of the aftermath of the assault in June 2014, in which the hotel could be seen (archived here).
The Wilayat Nineveh media organization released this photoset showing preparations for the grand reopening of the hotel, which IS renamed al-Warithein. The name was changed thus on a TripAdvisor listing.
Source:
The photoset was released on justpaste.it by the Wilayat Nineveh media organization. This method was commonly used by IS for disseminating propaganda photos from Mosul. The photoset was shared widely on social media on May 4, 2015, by IS-affiliated accounts. The insignia tallies with that featured on other propaganda released by the Nineveh branch of IS.
Location:
The photoset was released by the regional media wing of the northern Iraqi province of Nineveh. The location can be confirmed by comparison with this geotagged image of the former Nineveh International Hotel in Mosul. The hotel has previously been featured in other propaganda released by IS.
Date:
The Wilayat Nineveh photoset appears to have been released by IS on May 4, 2015. The exact date on which the photos were taken is not known. They could have been taken as early as May 2, based on other photos shared on that date.
The Raqqa-based anti-IS activist group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently shared a set of photos on May 2, described as being taken on the reopening of the Nineveh International Hotel by IS.