Iraqi special forces led an operation on Tuesday aimed at retaking the jihadist-held town of Qayyarah, a key staging base for operations to attack Mosul, military sources say.
Qayyarah lies on the western bank of the Tigris river, about 60 kilometers (35 miles) south of Mosul, the Islamic State group’s last major urban stronghold in Iraq.
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“The operation started at dawn with the participation of Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) and army forces,” Brigadier General Firas Bashar tells AFP.
“The operation is ongoing and currently achieving its goals,” CTS spokesman Sabah al-Noman says.
Members of Iraqi counter-terrorism forces take part in training under the command of international military instructors in Baghdad on March 20, 2016, as they preparare for a future operation aimed at retaking the northern city of Mosul. (AFP /SABAH ARAR)
“Qayyarah will be cleared and the operation wrapped up quickly, bolstering our plans… for the final battle to liberate Mosul,” he tells AFP.
He says Iraqi forces have been working with armed residents inside the town for this offensive, a rare occurrence.
“There has been coordination with groups of armed residents inside,” Noman says, declining to provide further details.
Iraqi forces have spent weeks positioning themselves around the town, which is expected to be used as a launchpad for a broader operation against Mosul in the coming weeks or months.
— AFP
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