Iraq Declares Operation To Recapture Mosul -

MEP: Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced Monday that the country’s forces begun their operation to retake the Daesh (ISIS/ISIL) stronghold of Mosul.

“The time of victory has come and operations to liberate Mosul have started,” he said in an address broadcast on Iraqi TV.

Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, has been under Daesh control since June 2014.

He added that Iraqi army is leading the operations with support from the national police force, while stressing that “others” will not be entering the city.

This comes as yesterday Abadi has said that would not allow the Turkish army to participate in the operation.

Meanwhile, U.S. announced its support from the battle.

“We are proud to stand with you in this historic operation,” Brett McGurk, US envoy to the coalition against ISIL, said on Twitter at the start of the Mosul battle.

Godspeed to the heroic Iraqi forces, Kurdish #Peshmerga, and #Ninewa volunteers. We are proud to stand with you in this historic operation.

— Brett McGurk (@brett_mcgurk) October 16, 2016

In addition to Iraqi and militia forces, it is widely believed that US troops could also participate in the offensive. Late last month, President Obama authorized the dispatch of an additional 600 American troops to Iraq to assist with the Mosul operation. Before the announcement, the US had 4,500 troops in Iraq, years after the Obama administration officially withdrew all American troops from the country.