Obama envoy visits Mosul front, applauds Peshmerga, Iraqi forces

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The US Special Presidential Envoy Brett McGurk on Monday visited the Khazir front line, west of Erbil, to show respect and gratitude to Kurdish Peshmerga and Iraqi security forces battling the Islamic State (IS).

McGurk, accompanied with the US Consul General in Erbil Ken Gross, met Peshmerga and Iraqi forces commanders at the Khazir front line.

He praised the coordination between both forces in the battle against the extremist group, according to his official Twitter account.

McGurk visited areas previously under the control of IS that Peshmerga forces had liberated during military operations in the past few months.

The Envoy also mentioned the Iraqi counter-terrorism forces would soon receive reinforcement in Mosul.

In another Tweet, McGurk stated he had met the Governor of Nineveh Nawfal Hammadi.

In the meeting, McGurk approved the distribution of $32 million from the US-led coalition as support to help rebuild areas liberated from the insurgent group.

On Sunday, McGurk met with the President of the Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani and the Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani in Erbil.

During the meeting, they discussed the Mosul operation, coordination between Peshmerga and Iraqi forces, and Erbil-Baghdad relations following the Mosul battle.

IS emerged in Mosul, the second-largest city in Iraq, in June 2014.

The group shortly expanded to other provinces in the country, including Nineveh, Diyala, Anbar, and Salahaddin.

Peshmerga and Iraqi security forces launched the Mosul offensive on Oct. 17.

The forces have so far retaken over 20 percent of Mosul as the battle to liberate the city continues.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany