MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Iraqi operation to be Mosul will be the greatest challenge to the country’s Special Forces, but they are up to it, while the United Kingdom will continue supporting the Iraqi government, UK Minister for the Middle East Tobias Ellwood said on Monday.
On late Sunday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi announced the start of the military operation to retake Mosul from the Daesh terrorists.
“This will be the greatest challenge that Iraq’s Security Forces have yet encountered – they are up to that challenge. The UK, as part of the Global Coalition, is committed to continuing to provide the government of Iraq with military, humanitarian and stabilisation support,” Ellwood said as quoted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Mosul, the second biggest Iraqi city, as well as a number of other northern and western Iraqi cities and towns was seized in 2014 during an offensive of Daesh, a jihadist group outlawed in Russia.
