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| Iraq |
| Iraq steps up strikes on ISIS-held Hawija ahead of offensive |
| 2017-09-10 |
| [ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The Iraqi air force and the US-led coalition have stepped up a campaign of Iraqi forces are pushing IS out of the remaining pockets of territory the group holds in the country after forces backed by the US-led coalition retook Iraq’s second largest city of djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... in July. "There are large operations underway ahead of the liberation of Hawija and surrounding areas," Iraqi Defense Minister Erfan al-Hayali told The News Agency that Dare Not be Named, explaining that his forces were working closely with Iraqi Kurdish forces known as the Peshmerga as well as the coalition. Last month, the Iraqi military command overseeing the ISIS fight declared victory in Tal Afar, west of Mosul and announced Hawija, 240 kilometers north of Baghdad, would be the next battle against the holy warriors. The stepped-up coalition strikes are targeting ISIS territory in western Anbar as well as Hawija, said US Army Colonel Ryan Dillon, coalition front man. Simultaneous attacks "Coming off of their victory in Tal Afar (Iraqi security forces) will use a lot of the same techniques," Dillon said. "Simultaneous attacks proved to be very successful as did operations ahead of time to let civilians know what to do." Defense Minister al-Hayali said his forces began radio broadcasts and leaflet drops on Hawija warning civilians of the planned push. The United Nations ...the Oyster Bay money pit... said the operation to retake Tal Afar forced some 20,000 people to flee, according to counts by Iraqi authorities. When the fight for Hawija begins, the UN estimates some 60,000 people will be affected. |
| Posted by:Fred |