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Kurdish Commander in Iraq Denies Reports of US Building Military Base Near Mosul

© REUTERS / Azad LashkariKurdish Peshmerga forces keep watch in a village east of Mosul, Iraq, May 29, 2016.
Kurdish Peshmerga forces keep watch in a village east of Mosul, Iraq, May 29, 2016. - Sputnik International
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In an interview with Sputnik, a Kurdish Peshmerga commander in Iraq, Livan Hurettin, denied earlier reports about a military base allegedly being built by the US near Bashiqa, a town 25 kilometers from Mosul.

“The information about the construction of a US military base in the area is not true. There are neither American soldiers nor any representatives of the US military command there,” Livan Hurettin said.

He denied rumors about Turkey allegedly having sent reinforcement to its troops already deployed near Bashiqa.

“There were only Turkish troops stationed there. Their number hasn’t changed,” he said, refusing to elaborate any further out of security considerations.

Members of the Shi'ite Badr Organisation undergo training before the upcoming battle to recapture Mosul in Diyala province, Iraq September 27, 2016 - Sputnik International
Turkey Fears Possible Sectarian Conflict in Iraq After Mosul Liberation - PM
Meanwhile, the presence of Turkish troops near Bashiqa has sent Iraq-Turkey tensions soaring. According to local media reports, there are an estimated 600 Turkish troops currently stationed in Bashiqa, which is controlled by Kurdish Peshmerga units.

In a majority vote on Sunday, the Turkish parliament extended the presence of Turkish troops in Iraq by one year. The move invited an angry backlash from Iraqi MPs who called for the earliest possible withdrawal of the Turkish troops already in the country.

Livan Hurettin said that it was not yet clear whether the Turkish soldiers were going to take part in the operation to liberate Mosul from Daesh terrorists.

He added that the Peshmerga forces were now in the final stages of preparations for the operation that is expected to start shortly.

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