Iraqi militia threatens ISIS' supply route to Syria
BAGHDAD
— Iraqi militias said on Wednesday they had driven ISIS fighters from
an air base west of Mosul, a victory which would threaten the group's
supply route from Syria to its last major stronghold in Iraq.
"The
airport of Tal Afar has been liberated," Yusif al-Kallabi, a spokesman
for Popular Mobilisation, a coalition of mainly Iranian-backed militias,
told Iraqi state TV.
The
capture of the base, if confirmed, could be a significant development
in the campaign to recapture Mosul, ISIS' de facto capital since its
forces swept through Iraq in 2014.
Tal
Afar lies about 38 miles west of Mosul on the main road to Syria. Its
seizure could also alarm Turkey, which is wary of Iraqi involvement in
Syria's civil war.
"Tal Afar will be the starting block for the
liberation of all the area...to the Syrian border and beyond the Syria border," said Hadi al-Amiri, head of Badr Organization, Popular Mobilisation's largest component, in a video clip.
liberation of all the area...to the Syrian border and beyond the Syria border," said Hadi al-Amiri, head of Badr Organization, Popular Mobilisation's largest component, in a video clip.
While
the Badr Organization is fighting ISIS west of Mosul, regular army and
police units are trying to advance from the other sides, backed by
Kurdish Peshmerga fighters deployed in the north and the east.
Iraqi
counter-terrorism forces breached ISIS defenses in east Mosul two weeks
ago but have faced resistance from the militants, who have fought back
with suicide car bombs, snipers and waves of counter-attacks.
The
campaign that began on Oct. 17 with air and ground support from a
U.S.-led coalition is the biggest operation in Iraq since the 2003
invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.
Source: http://www.arabamericannews.com/news/news/id_13257/Iraqi-militia-threatens-ISIS-supply-route-to-Syria.html
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