Iraq: Peshmerga secure positions in Nineveh as Mosul battle rages on

Kurdish Peshmerga forces strengthened their positions in the battle against the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) in the Nineveh Governorate, Sunday.
Two Peshmerga commanders praised their troops, saying that successes achieved by the Iraqi Army in the war against IS would not have been possible without the support of the Kurdish forces.
"Peshmerga forces played a major role in helping the Iraqi Army to liberate Mosul," Commander Didvan Khurshid said, adding that the Kurdish troops "were able to break through the most powerful defence line of ISIS in Mosul."
Another Peshmerga commander, Mahmoud Khama Amin, said that his troops are “closely monitoring the redeployment of the enemy.” The commander said that residents in the region have been able to return to their homes and that “In these areas, no distinction is made between Arabs and Kurds.”
The military operation against IS in the embattled city of Mosul began on October 17 last year. IS captured the city in 2014, and the offensive is now fronted by the Iraqi military and international coalition.
Thousands of Mosul residents have been forced to flee the fighting as the campaign has escalated, while an estimated 50,000 civilians still remain in areas under IS control. Senior commanders predict a full recapture of the city in a few days.