(TIKRIT, IRAQ) Iraqi forces launched an operation on Tuesday to retake the northern town of Shirqat from Islamic State, a stepping stone in their campaign to recapture the jihadists’ stronghold of Mosul before the end of the year.
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The disposition of forces and the treatment of Shirqat’s residents, who have been living under Islamic State for more than two years, will be closely watched by the Sunni residents of Mosul, who have historic mistrust of the forces of successive Shi’ite-led governments in Baghdad.
“The operation to liberate Shirqat started at 5:30 a.m”.
But after the meeting, Mr al-Abadi told reporters: “We want more support and we want extended support”.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, police officer Ghazwan al-Jabouri said army troops – backed by police and armed Sunni tribesmen – had captured four villages in the northern Saladin province. Rasool highlighted that the Iraqi Armed Forces can not move forward into Mosul while as along as terrorists keep control of Shergat, and recalled that they had already regained control of other towns in the north of that locality.
Al-Abadi described the operation as a “new phase for the heroic operations”. The group also controls the city of Tel Afar, west of Mosul towards the Syrian border.
The Hashed Al Shaabi, which has played a big part in retaking ISIL-held areas since 2014, is nominally under the control of the prime minister but dominated by Tehran-backed Shiite militia.
Mr Rasool stressed that only tribal forces were fighting in Sherqat, not Shiite militias.
US and Iraqi officials have said the push on Mosul could begin in October, though there are concerns that not enough planning has been done for how to manage Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, if and when Islamic State is kicked out.
Hashed al-Shaabi forces had vowed they were days away from Sherqat nearly a year ago, when they tried to keep their momentum after retaking the town of Baiji and pushed on northwards.
The push to take Shirqat is backed by paramilitary troops, mostly Shiite militiamen.
Shirqat, about 155 miles (250 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad, was among the first areas to fall into IS hands in the militants’ June 2014 blitz.
Iraqi forces have left some pockets of IS jihadists on the way however – such as in Hawijah or in the Hamreen mountains – and priority was given to Qayyarah, a town farther north which will be used as a launchpad for an offensive on Mosul.
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“We feel confident that we will be in a position to move forward fairly rapidly”, Obama said, vowing to fight “right at the heart of the (IS) operation in Mosul”.
