Iraqi military offensive on ISIS a ‘major milestone’

Iraqi Embassy in Nairobi Charge D’Affaires Mohammed Husham Al-Fityan: [Photo/COURTESY]

The Iraqi Embassy in Nairobi has said that the ongoing military offensive to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul from the terrorist group ISIS is a turning point in the global war on terrorism.

The Embassy’s Charge D’Affaires Mohammed Husham Al-Fityan said Mosul Province is the last ISIS stronghold in the country and once they are vanquished there, they will no longer have safe havens in Iraq to plot and execute attacks locally and other parts of the globe.

“The liberation of Mosul will be a major milestone in the war against the most dangerous terrorist group in the globe which captured wide areas in Iraq, Syria and Libya and was threatening to capture and destroy more areas in other countries in the Middle East and beyond. It will also be a big blow against other affiliate terrorist groups around the globe,” he said.

He added: “The Iraqi forces and volunteer fighters with cooperation of international coalition have already liberated two other provinces from ISIS including Al–Anbar and Salah Aldin. Mosul has been their last position in the country.”

On 16th last month, the Iraqi government launched a major offensive on Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq with backing from an international coalition led by the US. The offensive is still ongoing as ISIS are cleared from different sectors of the city, which has been in their hands since mid 2014.

“For the two years ISIS has controlled Mosul, they have carried out deadly and heinous violations against civilians of that city, including slaughtering, burning and explosions,” he said. He added: “Tragically, they have also been killing and expelling thousands of members of minority groups like Christians and Yazidis as well as Muslims who were living in that city for thousands of years.”

The envoy expressed regret and sadness about ISIS’s destruction of many archeological sites, monuments and museums that belonged to ancient Iraqi civilisations and which date back to thousands of years in history.

Mr Al-Fityan said enhanced cooperation between countries will limit and eventually destroy the ability of the terrorist groups like ISIS and its affiliates around the globe and make the world safer from terrorism. “The terrorist ISIL claim to represent the Islamic religion but their acts and behavior are far from the religion’s values which call for peace and tolerance for all human beings. ISIS does not represent Islam by any means whatsoever,” he said.

Regarding concerns that the military offensive on Mosul threatens lives of thousands of civilians besieged in the city, the envoy said the Iraqi army are under firm orders to deal carefully with civilians to protect them and move them to safe areas.

“The Iraqi army is still liberating the civilians of that city from the terrorist ISIS which has been using innocent civilians as human shields. It is a priority for the government of Iraq to protect all Iraqi people,” he said.