ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi military officials say that Shiite militia participated in the massive assault which kicked off on Thursday against Islamic State (ISIS) militants in the group's main stronghold of Mosul. "Iraqi military forces along with the [Shiite militia] Hashd al-Shaabi started launching the first phase of the military operations [known as Fatah operations] to liberate the Nineveh province," read a statement from the Iraqi joint military operations. The statement added that "the military forces, the heroic counter-terr forces, the Iraqi federal police and Shiite militia of the Hashd al-Shaabi are all involved in fighting ISIS terrorists and they will simultaneously liberate western Ramadi and southern Mosul," from the extremist group. There are also other "preparations underway to clear many other areas from the Islamic State." "We call on local people to avoid ISIS shelters, positions and depots because in the coming hours or next days, will be targeted," by the Iraqi forces, the statement said after pointing out that military operations were being conducted from three different directions against the group. Iraqi Army forces and its allied Sunni militia kicked off an offensive early Thursday to recapture villages southeast of Mosul from ISIS, backed by Kurdish Peshmerga forces and coalition air power. At around 6:30 a.m., Iraqi forces began moving toward several villages, as coalition warplanes roared overhead and the sound of cannon and artillery thundered for kilometers. Kurdish Peshmerga forces said they were playing a supporting role in the offensive against ISIS. Meanwhile,Lieutenant General Najim Jabouri commander of the Mosul operations command also revealed that, so far around "eight villages in the Gayara town southern Mosul have been recaptured including Muntatar, Tal Shaair, Karmrdi, Nasser, Khatab, Kudila, Salahiya and Narza."
