WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US-led coalition against Daesh carried out five airstrikes on Thursday in Mosul amid a growing effort to liberate the Iraqi city from the terror group, according to the US Central Command (CENTCOM) press release.
"Near Mosul, five strikes struck three separate ISIL [Daesh] tactical units and destroyed seven ISIL assembly areas, four ISIL vehicles, an ISIL fighting position, and 26 ISIL rocket rails," CENTCOM stated on Friday.
In total, the coalition conducted 17 airstrikes in and around ten Iraqi cities, including Fallujah and Sinjar. The allied forces hit tactical units, fighting positions and machine guns, among other infrastructure targets, the release said.
Mosul, which serves as a stronghold for Daesh, has been held by the terrorist group since 2014. However, coalition leaders have been reluctant to indicate time-frame for the city’s liberation.
The US-led coalition of over 60 nations has been conducting airstrikes in Syria and Iraq against Daesh since summer 2014. Over the past year, the coalition has reclaimed a number of cities around Mosul in a bid to choke off outside support to Daesh, outlawed in the United States and Russia.