Iraqi army closes in on IS in Shirqat

There are civilians in the town. They are aware of our movements and they do coordinate with the army.

Baxtiyar Goran 2016/09/20 20:16

middle east Iraq Mosul Mosul operation Shirqat Islamic State ISIS

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The Iraqi security forces launched an operation on Tuesday to retake the Islamic State (IS)-held town of Shirqat, west of Tigris in Salahadin province.

Haider al-Abadi, the Iraqi Prime Minister in a speech in New York announced the start of the operation against IS extremists to retake the town of Shirqat in Salahadin, Jazeera al-Rumadi and Hit in Anbar.

A Kurdistan24 reporter stated that the operation to recapture Shirqat was launched at 5:30 AM (local time) by Iraqi army and Sunni fighters and so far five areas surrounding the Sunni-populated town have been liberated.

Lieutenant general Juma’a Einad, the commander of Shirqat operation told Kurdistan24 that the Iraqi forces launched the offensive against IS extremists from three fronts, liberating several villages and besieging some other villages surrounding Shirqat.

The Iraqi military operation in Shirqat is backed by the US-led coalition against IS.

Shirqat, 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of Mosul, has been under the control of IS extremists for over two years.

Iraqi air forces dropped seven million leaflets on different parts of Nineveh province in northern Iraq, including the town of Shirqat, asking residents of Mosul to cooperate with the Iraqi army and avoid IS locations in the area.

Lieutenant general Einad said that there are civilians in the town. They are aware of our movements and they do coordinate with the army.

IS emerged in northern Iraq in June 2014 and expanded to other areas in the country. Since then, the group has lost large swaths of territory and continues to shrink.

On September 19, a trilateral meeting, chaired by the Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani, and attended by the Region, US, and Iraqi military personnel and diplomats, was held to discuss preparations of the Mosul liberation.

“Peshmerga and Iraqi forces with the assistance of the US-led coalition shall begin the process of ridding the city of Mosul of the terrorists of the Islamic State [IS],” Kurdistan Region Presidency statement said.

Editing by Ava Homa

(Huner Ahmed from Beji contributed to this report)