Forces Continue Push to Mosul

Toward Qayyarah

Along the eastern axis, brigades of the 15th Iraqi Army Division continue clearing ISIL pockets from small villages to the southeast of Qayyarah. The 72nd Brigade continues to hold Kharabat Jabar and clear Hajj Ali, he said.

Ninevah police battalions are assuming the hold-force mission in the cleared towns of Kabruk, Mahanah and Kharbardan, Garver said. And in the last 24 hours, he added, the Combined Joint Task Force conducted two strikes in support of these forces.

On the western axis, the 9th Iraqi Army Division, supported by CTS forces, continued to attack north toward Qayyarah from Beiji, he said.

“We have seen tactical repositioning from the forward elements due to enemy activity along the forward edge of their formation but have once again reoccupied their most forward positions south of the town of Ramadaniyat,” Garver said. The forces on this axis, he added, recently completed the clearing of the town of Makuhl.

Resistance along the western axis is light to moderate, and ISIL is using tactics that include earthworks, obstacle belts, indirect fire and suicide attacks, he said.

“In the last week the coalition has conducted 11 strikes in the Qayyarah region in support of these operations,” the colonel added, and he reiterated the importance of Qayyarah and major towns in this area such as Sharqat.

“Not only do we want to clear Qayyarah because Daesh controls it,” Garver said, “but Qayyarah is also important because it is approximately 50 kilometers from Mosul. This intermediate step on the way to Mosul, just as we saw at Makhmour, will allow the Iraqi security forces to posture for the eventual big fight to liberate Mosul.