Iraq launches operation to retake Qayyarah near Mosul

Iraqi special forces have launched an operation to liberate the town of Qayyarah, used by terrorists as a key base to attack the nearby northern city of Mosul.

According to the reports, Iraqi Brigadier General Firas Bashar, the spokesman for the operations command in Nineveh province, said on Tuesday that the offensive “started at dawn with the participation of Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) and army forces.”

Bashar also noted that the Iraqi forces are backed by the US-led coalition aircraft, which are allegedly targeting Daesh Takfiri terrorists in the Arab country.

Meanwhile, CTS spokesman, Sabah al-Noman, said the Qayyarah liberation campaign is “currently achieving its goals," adding that the operation will be “wrapped up quickly, bolstering … plans... for the final battle to liberate Mosul.”

Iraqi troops had been working with armed Qayyarah residents for the offensive, he further pointed out, saying, "There has been coordination with groups of armed residents inside.”

The Iraqi army is gearing up for a major offensive in late September to purge Daesh from Mosul, the last remaining bastion for the terror group north of the country. Iraqi forces have managed to wrest control of several areas in the southern parts of the city.

Qayyarah lies on the western bank of the Tigris river, some 60 km south of Mosul.

SS