Huge risk for Iraqi and Kurdish fighters trying to secure Mosul
Fadiliya — Kurdish peshmerga fighter Germad Yihya stood on a small berm overlooking a village where he said Islamic State militants (IS) had been defeated. A line of trees 500m away from his position illustrated how he could not afford to be complacent. A day earlier, a suicide bomber had rushed out of the thick green vegetation and killed five of his comrades after Kurdish forces had fought for 10 days to gain the upper hand in Fadiliya, where 1,000 people remain trapped, surrounded by roadside bombs. Iraqi and Kurdish forces have cleared more than 30 villages like Fadiliya during their offensive to drive IS from its main Iraqi stronghold of Mosul, in what is expected to be the biggest battle in Iraq for more than a decade. Clearing the hardline Sunni militants from areas where they once imposed a reign of terror is proving to be a slow and risky mission. Securing Mosul — with a population of 1.5-million — could take months in the event of victory. When Kurdish fighters first enter...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.