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Mapping the road to the liberation of Mosul

Iraqi forces are advancing toward the city of Mosul from the four corners of the country. Kurdish peshmerga are moving from the north and east, while government-controlled forces are heading toward the city from the south and west. In recent developments in the Iraqi arena, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced July 9 the liberation of the Qayyarah air base 60 kilometers […]

Muhannad Al-Ghazi writes for Al-Monitor:

Iraqi forces are advancing toward the city of Mosul from the four corners of the country. Kurdish peshmerga are moving from the north and east, while government-controlled forces are heading toward the city from the south and west.

In recent developments in the Iraqi arena, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced July 9 the liberation of the Qayyarah air base 60 kilometers (37 miles) south of Mosul. But the pertinent question is: How will the Iraqi forces reach Mosul from different directions?

The Joint Military Command had declared March 24 the launch of the first offensive on three axes according to statements by operations command spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yehya Rasul.

“The Iraqi forces have seized control of a number of villages near the Makhmur district to the east of Mosul,” 50 kilometers south of Mosul, Rasul said.

The military forces began advancing from the Makhmur air base toward the towns stretching along the Tigris River, about 16 kilometers west of Makhmur.