The United States deployed an additional 400 troops to Iraq earlier this month as local forces prepare for an assault on Iraq’s second city.
Advertisement
The US forces will be providing support, logistics and supplies for an offensive meant to retake the last major city in Iraq held by Islamic State (Isis).
On Thursday, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook told reporters that “the secretary of defense has made clear that our forces in Iraq are in harm’s way”.
Following the failure of attack and the advance of the opposition forces – including the US backed forces and the Kurdish Peshmerga forces – in various parts, Isis declared emergency in Mosul on Thursday. He added that coalition forces are conducting intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance efforts in the area.
General Maan al-Saedi, a commander with the Iraqi counter-terrorism force, was quoted by the International Business Times UK as having said that “it is very possible” that the Iraqi security forces will “start the operation in early October”. “Everyone who is serving there is in a risky situation.”, according to the Daily Mail.
With regards to Iraq, Erdogan had said that Turkey’s Armed Forces may participate in the operation for the liberation of the Iraqi city of Mosul, taken over by IS militants.
Iraqi security forces air dropped thousands of leaflets south of the city over the weekend warning citizens in anticipation of a new offensive. One such leaflet, which was seen by CNN, reportedly warned residents to flee the town “immediately”. The next stage of the effort to retake Mosul will involve attempts to seize towns and villages on the southern outskirts of the city.
After meeting with Abadi in NY on Monday, U.S. President Barack Obama said he hoped for progress by the end of the year on Mosul.
“The global coalition airstrikes on Tuesday and Wednesday, destroyed gathering points and headquarters of ISIS in the forest areas in Mosul, and also destructed an ISIS headquarters in al-Imam al-Azam College”, the sources said.
For both leaders, moving quickly to retake Mosul is part of a strategy to sustain the momentum that Iraq and its partners have finally built up after years of struggled.
Advertisement
‘There is still a tough fight ahead against an adaptive enemy that will try to challenge us as we hone in on Mosul, ‘ Harrigian, the commander of United States air forces in the Middle East, said.
