Peshmerga forces advance in the east of Mosul Reuters
Christian Today
The battle for Mosul began early on Monday morning as coalition forces sought to recapture ISIS' last major stronghold in Iraq.
Government troops backed by the US and others launched an air and ground offensive in the biggest operation in Iraq since the 2003 invasion.
The iconic northern city of Mosul was home to thousands of Iraqi Christians before the ISIS invasion. There are thought to be few, if any, remaining.
The United States predicted Islamic State would suffer "a lasting defeat" as Iraqi forces mounted their operation. Some 30,000 Iraqi soldiers, Kurdish Peshmerga militia and Sunni tribal fighters were expected to take part in the offensive to drive up to 8,000 Islamic State militants from Mosul, a city of 1.5 million people.
"I announce today the start of the heroic operations to free you from the terror and the oppression of Daesh," Prime Minister Haider Abadi said in a speech on state TV.
"We will meet soon on the ground of Mosul to celebrate liberation and your salvation," he said.
In a statement the commander of the coalition, US Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend, said: "This operation to regain control of Iraq's second-largest city will likely continue for weeks, possibly longer."
US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said it was a "decisive moment" in the effort to defeat ISIS.
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