ISIL ousted from strategic town in Iraq

Qayyarah’s capture paves the way for taking back Mosul

QAYYARAH, IRAQ // Backed by coalition air strikes, Iraqi forces yesterday pushed ISIL from Qayyarah, a northern town considered essential to any offensive against the extremists’ last stronghold of Mosul.

“We control all parts of the town,” said Lt Gen Riyadh Jalal Tawfik, who commands Iraq’s ground forces. The commander said engineering units were clearing the town, about 60 kilometres south of Mosul, of unexploded ordnance and booby traps.

Prime minister Haider Al Abadi hailed what he said was a key step towards reclaiming Mosul – ISIL’s de facto Iraq capital and the country’s second city.

“Our forces achieved an important step towards the liberation of Mosul,” Mr Al Abadi said.

The operation to retake Qayyarah was launched on Tuesday and led by Iraq’s elite counter-terrorism service. Iraqi forc- es recaptured a nearby airfield and Qayyarah was expected to be become one of the main launchpads for an assault on Mosul in coming weeks or months.

Meanwhile, Iraqi politicians yesterday voted to impeach defence minister Khaled Al Obeidi over corruption allegations, MPs said.

Parliament voted 142- 102 to withdraw confidence from Mr Al Obeidi after questioning him about weapons contracts. He denied the allegations. Mr Al Obeidi, a Sunni Muslim ally of Mr Al Abadi, had spearheaded the military campaign to retake territory from ISIL in 2014.

Politicians accused the defence ministry of wasting billions of dollars and weakening the armed forces to the point where they collapsed that year.

The impeachment was the latest development in a feud that erupted this month between Mr Al Obeidi and parliament speaker Salim Al Juburi, the highest- ranking Sunni politician in Iraq.