Iraq in massive assault on west Mosul
OREIJ (Iraq) — Iraqi forces launched an offensive on Sunday on militants defending Mosul’s west bank, in what could be the most brutal fighting yet in a fourmonth-old operation on the country’s second city.
They swiftly retook at least five villages and set their sights on Mosul airport, which lies just south of the city, marking a new phase in Iraq’s largest military operation in years.
The Daesh group has put up stiff resistance to defend Mosul.
“Our forces are beginning the liberation of the citizens from the terror of Daesh,” Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi said in a short televised speech. —
It’s been amply clear from the start that the battle to evict Daesh from its de facto capital in Mosul would be terribly hard. The extremist group’s sophisticated bomb-making facilities and its capability to produce rockets and mortars on an industrial scale have stunned the world. Yet, American and Iraqi-led forces have commendably gained considerable success in the last few months. The elite counterterrorism forces, better known as Iraqi Special Operations Forces, have cleared the eastern part of Mosul in a gruelling three-month campaign. The battle is now on for the western part. It would be tough, yes. But capturing what is left of the city would be a significant win, as the country has been living its worst nightmare since Daesh took hold of the second largest metropolis in June 2014. About a million people are still trapped in the city, somehow living under the shadows of the barbaric regime. They do not have access to bare necessities like food and water. Yet, some of them are more sympathetic to Daesh, and might put up a fierce battle, which could make it harder for the forces to win.
Despite the logistical and strategic challenges, Iraqi forces have regained key cities — Tikrit and Ramadi. Mosul is the last bastion for Daesh in the war-torn country. Freeing it, therefore, would mean the beginning of the end of the extremist group in Iraq. Which is why Daesh will do all that it takes to maintain control of the industrial city. The group has benefitted from the strategic location of the city, which serves as a vital transportation hub for the flow of goods to and from Turkey and Syria. Mosul is also near the oilfields in northern Iraq and a major oil pipeline into Turkey. The US Army’s Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend is optimistic that the city can be retaken from the grip of the extremist group within six months, and so does Iraq’s Prime Minster Haider Al Abadi.