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Arab, Kurdish forces in historic co-operation against ISIL in Mosul

By Alaa Hussain in Baghdad

Iraqi military forces advance through Mosul where they have made significant gains in defeating the 'Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant' and liberating small towns and villages that were controlled by the militants. [Photo courtesy of the Iraqi Ministry of Defence]

Iraqi military forces advance through Mosul where they have made significant gains in defeating the 'Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant' and liberating small towns and villages that were controlled by the militants. [Photo courtesy of the Iraqi Ministry of Defence]

The operation to liberate Mosul from the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL) has been characterised by unprecedented co-operation and co-ordination between Iraqi and Peshmerga forces, officials tell Diyaruna.

Joint Arab and Kurdish forces are for the first time standing together to face down a common enemy under a single command -- that of Commander in Chief of the Iraqi armed forces, Haider al-Abadi.

"This is the first time in the history of Iraq that Peshmerga forces are fighting shoulder to shoulder with federal Iraqi army forces in full co-operation and co-ordination, participating together in the liberation of land and the protection of civilian population," al-Abadi said last week.

Addressing the Paris conference on Mosul on October 20th, al-Abadi pointed out that this is the first time that federal forces have entered the Kurdish region with the regional government's full co-operation and approval.

This "reflects a great Iraqi unity and solidarity", he said, adding that both federal and Peshmerga forces share the goal of "liberating the land from ISIL's oppression and achieving a unified Iraq, without any division or disagreements".

Co-ordination between the Iraqi army and Peshmerga forces in the battle for Mosul has reached its highest level yet, Joint Operations Command spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasul told Diyaruna.

"Each party plays a complementary role to that of the other in liberating land and driving out the enemy," he said.

The Peshmerga entered the battle for Mosul with great momentum, Rasul said, liberating many Ninawa villages from ISIL after prior co-ordination with the Joint Operations Command.

"If you go to the battlefields today, you will in some positions find an Iraqi soldier and Peshmerga element fighting, eating and sleeping together, in an unprecedented scene that reflects the spirit of brotherhood," he added.

Political co-ordination

"The co-operation between the Iraqi army and Peshmerga has had a positive impact on the nature of political relations between [Baghdad] and the [Kurdish] region," said Ninawa provincial council head Bashar Kiki, who is a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party.

The positive effect of this co-operation extends beyond military success to post-liberation Mosul, where it will foster a stable security environment that can accommodate all political inclinations, he told Diyaruna.

"Security and defence committee members have visited the battlefronts and inspected military units in various sectors, including Kurdish Peshmerga sectors," he said.

This is a "real indicator that politicians in Baghdad are in harmony with the agreement's spirit and goals", he added.

Military operations have been going according to plan, he said, within the general framework of Mosul's liberation and based on the understandings agreed upon by al-Abadi and Masoud Barzani, president of the Kurdish region.

Compliance with instructions

All forces participating in the battle for Mosul are operating with utmost discipline and high-level co-ordination, with each party understanding its role, said Iraqi MP Hassan Khalati, who has visited the battlefields.

"The Peshmerga and tribal mobilisation forces are complying with the instructions of the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Haider al-Abadi, not to enter Mosul's city centre, but leave its liberation to the Iraqi army and federal police forces," he told Diyaruna.

The full compliance with instructions has reflected positively on the gains achieved on the ground, he said, as vast swathes of land have been liberated in record time and with minimal losses.

"The moment of victory in this decisive liberation battle is now very near, and the Iraqi people soon will be celebrating victory in the city of Mosul after the group is defeated and driven out," he said.

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