Iraqi forces move to retake Christian town on way to Mosul

Iraqi forces prepared to retake the country’s largest Christian town from the Islamic State group yesterday, a key milestone in their progress towards the jihadists’ main hub of Mosul, reports AFP from Qayyarah, Iraq.
News of the move to recapture Qaraqosh sparked jubilation among Christians who had fled the town, with many dancing and singing in the city of Arbil. Launched on Monday, the long-awaited advance on Mosul was making quick progress but US President Barack Obama joined a chorus of warnings the battle for IS’s last Iraqi stronghold would be tough. Officials have said the retaking of Mosul—in Iraq’s largest military operation in years—could take weeks or months and warned that the hundreds of thousands of civilians still in the city could be used as human shields.Federal forces stormed Qaraqosh, about 15 kilometres (10 miles) southeast of Mosul, on Tuesday but IS fighters remained in the town.Units from Iraq’s elite counter-terrorism service (CTS), which has done the heavy lifting in most recent operations against IS, were poised to flush jihadists out of the town, officers said.  

 

Iraqi forces move to retake Christian town on way to Mosul

Iraqi forces prepared to retake the countrys largest Christian town from the Islamic State group yesterday, a key milestone in their progress towards the jihadists main hub of Mosul, reports AFP from Qayyarah, Iraq. News of the move to recapture Qaraqosh sparked jubilation among Christians who had fled the town, with many dancing and singing in the city of Arbil. Launched on Monday, the long-awaited advance on Mosul was making quick progress but US President Barack Obama joined a chorus of warnings the battle for ISs last Iraqi stronghold would be tough. Officials have said the retaking of Mosulin Iraqs largest military operation in yearscould take weeks or months and warned that the hundreds of thousands of civilians still in the city could be used as human shields.Federal forces stormed Qaraqosh, about 15 kilometres (10 miles) southeast of Mosul, on Tuesday but IS fighters remained in the town.Units from Iraqs elite counter-terrorism service (CTS), which has done the heavy lifting in most recent operations against IS, were poised to flush jihadists out of the town, officers said.