He says his Sunni militia is critical to defeating IS and maintaining peace afterward because his fighters, unlike the majority of Iraq’s military, are local to Mosul.
Advertisement
“Up to 1.2 million people could be affected”, the spokesman stressed.
A Saudi Arabian operative who recruited children for the Daesh terrorist group in Iraq has reportedly been killed in the northern city of Mosul.
Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes drove IS out of the area at the end of previous year.
Celebrating the victory on Twitter, one Iraqi wrote: “Soon they will enter Mosul, liberating our people from this global extremist organisation, but I’m afraid of what will happen after in Mosul”.
The Iraqi military is battling its way up the Tigris river and has about 60 km (40 miles) left to reach the outskirts of Mosul; Kurdish peshmerga forces are deployed 30 km east of the city.
Dujarric said Tuesday that contingency plans have been drawn up to provide shelter assistance for up to 120,000 people fleeing Mosul and surrounding areas.
The militant group, however, still controls several parts in the country.
Iraqi and Kurdish forces are gradually closing on the city 400 km (250 miles) north of Baghdad, with air and ground support from a USA -led coalition.
Advertisement
Iraqi army units and volunteer forces known as Popular Mobilization Units have been fighting the terrorists.
