Kurdish Peshmerga Forces Launch Attack to Retake the City of Bashiqa

On Tuesday, November 8, Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces began their operation to retake the city of Bashiqa, located northeast of Mosul, from the Islamic State group. According to Reuters, about 2,000 Peshmerga are participating in this operation. The report states that most areas of Bashiqa, which is 13 kilometers from Mosul, are under the control of the Islamic State. One of the Peshmerga commanders told Reuters that about 100 Islamic State fighters and 10 suicide vehicles are still in Bashiqa. Previously, Iraqi army officials had stated that they had made further advances in the battle against the Islamic State in southern Mosul, reaching a few kilometers from the city's important airport. According to AFP, Iraqi forces managed to retake the city of Hammam al-Alil, located 15 kilometers southeast of Mosul, thereby clearing the way for further advances by Iraqi forces in the southern front of Mosul. The report indicates that normal life resumed in Hammam al-Alil immediately after its recapture, with some shops reopening. Mosul, with a population of 1.5 million, is the second-largest city in Iraq and was captured by the Islamic State in the summer of 2014. Meanwhile, Reuters reported on street fighting between Iraqi special forces and Islamic State militants in eastern Mosul. These forces managed to drive Islamic State militants out of six areas in eastern Mosul on Friday. The exodus of civilians from Mosul continues. Iraqi forces, along with Kurdish Peshmerga and Shiite militias, have been conducting operations to retake Mosul for about three weeks. Previously, the Popular Mobilization Forces, a Shiite militia in Iraq, announced that they had cut off the Islamic State's supply route in the western part of Mosul. According to Reuters, about 100,000 forces are participating in this operation, which is supported by U.S. airstrikes. In the meantime, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State, has reportedly called on his supporters to resist the Iraqi army's operations.