Iraqi troops advanced in Mosul from Peshmerga-backed fronts: Commander

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Peshmerga and Iraqi troops maintain a strong military coordination in the Mosul operation, clearing the city from the Islamic State (IS), said a Peshmerga Commander on Friday.

Kurdistan24 interviewed Saman Talabani, responsible for the coordination between the Iraqi and Peshmerga forces in the east and north of Mosul.

Talabani said there had been no problems between the two units since the beginning of the offensive in October 2016.

“Iraqi forces have been able to advance to the center of Mosul from the front lines where Peshmerga provided backup support such as the east and north of the city,” he stated.

He mentioned the Iraqi troops were unable to advance or get close to the center of Mosul from areas where Peshmerga was not available to provide support.

“From the south and southwest of Mosul, Iraqi troops are far from the center of the city by many kilometers, unlike other front lines,” he added.

The Mosul operation marks the first battle where both Peshmerga and Iraqi troops coordinated since the removal of the Iraqi dictatorship in 2003.

IS occupied Mosul in June 2014 and shortly expanded to other provinces in Iraq.

Since then, the group has lost most of the territory it once held and continues to shrink.

On Oct. 17, Iraqi and Kurdish Peshmerga forces launched the military offensive to clear Mosul from the extremist group.

The military operation is currently ongoing.

According to the Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, the city would be liberated within the next three months.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany