Iraq Forces Launch Push To Retake Town South Of Mosul
Rukhshan Mir (@rukhshanmir) Published August 23, 2016 | 06:22 PM
KIRKUK, Iraq, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23th August, 2016) - Iraqi special forces led an operation on Tuesday aimed at retaking the jihadist-held town of Qayyarah, a key staging base for operations to attack Mosul, military sources said. Qayyarah lies on the western bank of the Tigris river, about 60 kilometres (35 miles) south of Mosul, the Islamic State group's last major urban stronghold in Iraq. "The operation started at dawn with the participation of Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) and army forces," Brigadier General Firas Bashar told AFP. US-led coalition aircraft provided support, said Bashar, the spokesman for the operations command in Nineveh, the province in which Qayyarah and Mosul are located. "The operation is ongoing and currently achieving its goals," CTS spokesman Sabah al-Noman said.
"Qayyarah will be cleared and the operation wrapped up quickly, bolstering our plans... for the final battle to liberate Mosul," he told AFP. He said Iraqi forces had been working with armed residents inside the town for this offensive, a rare occurrence. "There has been coordination with groups of armed residents inside," Noman said, declining to provide further details.
Iraqi forces have spent weeks positioning themselves around the town, which is expected to be used as a launchpad for a broader operation against Mosul in the coming weeks or months. Saleh al-Juburi, the mayor of Qayyarah district, said around 15,000 civilians were believed to be trapped under IS rule in the Qayyarah area. "There are plans to bring food and medical supplies to those who are still in their homes and did not manage to escape Qayyarah," he told AFP. "We will distribute this aid immediately after the liberation of the town," he said. Juburi said CTS forces were making quick progress in Qayyarah and had already retaken key landmarks in the town hours after the launch of the operation. "Most of the Daesh (IS) fighters have been killed or have fled," he said. After retaking Fallujah, west of Baghdad, in June, the main focus of Iraqi security forces is Mosul, which is the country's second city and IS's de facto capital in Iraq. Iraqi forces backed by the coalition had weeks ago recaptured a nearby air field, which has since been undergoing repairs to be used by Iraqi forces in the battle for Mosul.
Recent Stories
Cricket: England v West Indies 3rd Test scoreboard
Finance minister briefs Chinese officials on reform agenda, engagement with IMF
Finland says Russian vessel violated its territorial waters
Olympic opening ceremony under way on River Seine
West Indies' treble strike rocks England in third Test
Ukraine court orders detention of suspect in murder of nationalist ex-MP
Long queues, ticketing problems ahead of Paris opening ceremony
Rana Sanaullah Khan joins Paris 2024 Olympics inauguration reception
Glowing tributes mark 69th birthday of President Zardari at Governor's House
Players unaware of spying scandal as Canada Olympic coach sent home: official
Naqvi hails Pak women cricketers for going down fighting against SL
'Sabotage' on French rail network before Olympics: What we know
More Stories From World
-
Biden talks Gaza ceasefire efforts with king of Jordan
5 hours ago -
Sinaloa Cartel co-founder pleads not guilty after stunning US capture
5 hours ago -
Panama says Venezuela blocked ex-presidents going to observe polls
5 hours ago -
Ethiopia mourns victims of landslide tragedy
5 hours ago -
Khan Yunis fighting displaces 180,000 Gazans in four days: UN
5 hours ago -
Trump slams rivals as he meets Netanyahu in Florida
5 hours ago
-
Obama & his wife, Michelle, officially endorse US VP Kamala Harris for president
5 hours ago -
Rain, cooling slow huge blaze in Canada's Jasper park
5 hours ago -
Airbus and Boeing supremacy secure despite turbulence
5 hours ago -
S.African police detain 95 Libyans at suspected military camp
6 hours ago -
'Slapping therapist' guilty over UK diabetic woman's death
6 hours ago -
Panama says Venezuela blocked flight of ex-presidents going to observe polls
6 hours ago