Iraqi forces advance on northern city of Mosul

17 October 2016

Prime Minister Al-Abadi vows that only federal government forces will enter city to oust Isis

Iraqi government forces and the Kurdish Peshmerga have started their campaign to retake the city of Mosul from Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (Isis).

Mosul is by far the largest city held by Isis, and is a key battleground in the Iraqi government’s attempt to oust Isis fighters from the north of the country.

“The hour of victory has come, the operation to liberate Mosul has started,” Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in an address broadcast on state television. “Today I declare the start of the heroic operations to liberate you from Daesh (Isis)”.

Al-Abadi said that only government forces would be allowed to enter Mosul, with the Peshmerga advancing on villages to the north of the city.

The move to only use government forces is thought to be an attempt by the prime minister to avoid the battle descending into a sectarian conflict between Shia militias and the city’s majority-Sunni inhabitants.

Al-Abadi has utilised Shia Popular Mobilisation Forces and Iran’s Quds Force for previous assaults on Isis territory, but has faced criticism due to the treatment against Sunni civilians and captured Isis militants.

Isis seized control of Mosul in early June 2014 as part of a campaign that saw it take large areas of northern and western Iraq.

It is estimated that there are 700,000 people still living in Mosul compared with a peacetime population of over 2 million. There are thought to be between 4,000 and 8,000 Isis fighters in the city.

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