Iraqi offensive to retake Mosul could begin within hours
U.S.-backed Iraqi special forces are prepared to enter ISIS-controlled Mosul within "a matter of hours," Iraq's counter-terrorism chief confirmed Monday. "The soldiers of the Counterterrorism Force are advancing very fast. I wouldn't say a matter of days but matter of hours before advancing and [to] start cleansing the city of Mosul from terrorism," General Talib Shegati said, as reported by CNN.
Mosul has been a stronghold for the Islamic State for two years, and its recapture would mean the militants would be effectively defeated in the Iraqi half of their caliphate. But the Iraqi offensive could still last for weeks or even months: "The battle of Mosul will not be a picnic," Hadi al-Amiri, the leader of the Shi'ite Badr Organization militia, told Reuters.
Around 1.5 million people still live in Mosul and the U.N. has warned that "scorched earth tactics employed by retreating [ISIS] members are having an immediate health impact on civilians, and risk long-term environmental and health consequences."
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