Moving toward Mosul
Smoke billows from a combined aircraft, artillery and ground attack as Kurdish peshmerga forces battle to recapture the village of Tiskharab from the Islamic State group Thursday near Mosul, Iraq. Kurdish and Iraqi forces, supported by several countries, including Britain and the United States, are continuing their advance toward Iraq’s second-largest city, which has been held by Islamic State militants since 2014. A U.S. service member was killed by a roadside bomb Thursday.
Iraq’s prime minister vowed Thursday to protect civilians fleeing the battle to oust Islamic State extremists from Mosul, as the offensive picked up speed and diplomats worked to ensure the gains are lasting and that jihadists don’t escape.
French President Francois Hollande, hosting a conference on stabilizing Mosul, urged the international community not to abandon the city once the multi-pronged military operation is over. Diplomats from the U.S., Iraq and some 20 other countries gathered in Paris to devise a plan to protect civilians, distribute aid and address questions about governing newly liberated areas.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi said Thursday that Mosul — Iraq’s second-largest city and the biggest held by the Islamic State —may fall sooner than expected.
“The fighting forces are currently pushing forward toward the town more quickly than we thought, and more quickly certainly than we established in our plan of campaign,” he told the Paris conference via video transmission.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault warned that up to a million people might try to flee Mosul, and said authorities must check each one to make sure extremists aren’t among them.
Ayrault also said the international community must think about the next step — notably, what do about the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa in Syria.
As the Mosul fighting intensifies, Al-Abadi said the Iraqi government is “providing support for internally displaced people,” and opening humanitarian corridors amid the ongoing military operations.
“We will not allow any violations of human rights,” he said.
He stressed that the battle is led by Iraq and is not a foreign invasion, though it has military support from a broad U.S.-led coalition. He also praised the diverse nature of today’s Iraqi forces, including Kurdish peshmergs.