“As of approximately 1200hrs [09:00 GMT], Peshmerga Forces had achieved their primary objective in a large-scale operation near Bashiqa, North East of Mosul, to cordon off eight villages in an area measuring approximately 100 square kilometers. Today’s resounding successful operation, which was achieved ahead of time, positions Peshmerga Forces less than 9 km [about 6 miles] from the outskirts of Mosul,” the Command said in a statement issued on its Twitter page.
The statement said that the Peshmerga secured a significant stretch of a highway connecting Mosul with the town of Bashiqa to limit the Daesh (outlawed in Russia) terrorists’ freedom of movement.
The Command added that the Kurds managed to kill dozens of terrorists on Sunday, including Abu Faruq known as the emir of Bashiqa.
On October 17, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi announced the start of a military operation to retake Mosul from Daesh. According to local media, about 30,000 Iraqi soldiers and 4,000 Kurdish Peshmerga fighters are taking part in the operation, backed by airstrikes carried out by the US-led international coalition
