Iraq Situation Report: March 12-13, 2015

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Various Iraqi forces are pressuring ISIS on three different fronts, all of which are of strategic importance to the organization. ISIS will therefore likely attempt to escalate its attacks elsewhere to divert the resources of these forces

1 On March 12, an anonymous security source in Salah al-Din stated that Iraqi army (IA),
police, and the “Popular Mobilization” had arrived in central Tikrit. On March 13, an
anonymous military source stated that the operation would not advance until reinforcements
arrived. Leader of Badr Organization Hadi al-Ameri expressed condence in a positive
outcome from the ght but maintained that the combined forces needed time. In a recent
statement Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi claimed that security forces and the “Popular
Mobilization” fully controlled Tikrit.

2 A Humvee SVBIED targeted a military headquarters in al-Dayom
area in northwestern Tikrit district, killing six Iraqi Army (IA) soldiers
and injuring 10 others.

3 A security source in Salah al-Din stated that
clashes continued throughout the night on the
outskirts of al-Qadisiyah neighborhood, north of
Tikrit, between “joint security forces” and ISIS as
combined forces “attempt to control the area.” e
clashes killed three members of the joint forces. e
source indicated that reinforcements arrived in the area.

4 On March 13, a source in the command of the “Popular Mobilization” stated that ISIS
launched an attack on al-Hwesh area, west of Samarra, that lasted throughout the night. ISIS
initiated the attack by deploying what was reported to be over two dozen SVBIEDs that were
foiled by members of the Nujaba Movement, although this report may be exaggerated. Clashes
erupted after the initial attack with the Nujaba Movement and Federal Police battling ISIS
leaving a reported 75 ISIS members and eight members of the “Popular Mobilization” dead
and 10 others injured.

5 On March 12, forces from the Peshmerga, Turkmen volunteers, “police,” and “Popular Mobilization” launched an operation to retake Bashir village, south of Kirkuk city. e operation initiated clashes with ISIS that killed four members of the “Popular Mobilization” and injured 35 others. e forces have reportedly recaptured two villages on the way to Bashir: Sheikh Fanar al-Obeidi and Shamsiya. A leader in the “Popular Mobilization” stated that the Peshmerga attacked the village from the west with the “Popular Mobilization” approaching from the east. A separate initial report indicated that the forces surrounded and then successfully retook Bashir, although this remains unconrmed

6 On March 12, Peshmerga forces launched an operation to
take control of villages located near the Nahrawan area,
southwest of Kirkuk city. Also, a Peshmerga commander stated
that the Peshmerga took control of Multaqa sub-district, along
with 15 villages southwest of Kirkuk. On March 13, an anonymous
security source stated that “Popular Mobilization” and
Peshmerga forces took control of the Yarmouk compound
and a village in the Rashad sub-district, southwest of
Kirkuk. e composition of the “Popular Mobilization”
is unclear in this case and it is likely that the source
was referencing to local Iraqi Sunni tribal
ghters. U.S. CENTCOM stated that on
March 12 ve coalition airstrikes “near
Kirkuk” struck an ISIS tactical unit
and destroyed ve excavators,
three vehicles, and a VBIED.
On March 13, a coalition
airstrike struck a tactical unit
and destroyed an armored
vehicle.

. – See more at: http://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iraq-situation-report-march-12-13-2015#sthash.0fOf7E19.dpuf

Kurdish Peshmerga surround Mosul from three sides

ISIS targets in Mosul now in range of Peshmerga guns

Kurdish Peshmerga fighters inspect a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launcher as they take control of the area, on the outskirts of Mosul, Iraq, on February 6, 2015. (Reuters/Ari Jalal)

Feb. 2015 - Erbil, Asharq Al-Awsat—Kurdish Peshmerga forces have surrounded Mosul from three sides ahead of a planned operation to liberate the city from Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) control, a senior Peshmerga official said.

In comments to Asharq Al-Awsat, Peshmerga Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Jamal Mohamed said: “Over the past few months, Peshmerga forces have been able to make significant advances east, west and north of Mosul and our operations there have completely cut off ISIS from these areas.”

“Our forces are now very close to Mosul. In some cases we are no further than 10–15 kilometers [6.2–9.3 miles] from the city and are in control of all the main bridges in the [surrounding] Eski and Al-Kasak area, which is the main link between Mosul and Tal Afar,” he added.

Kurdish Peshmerga forces have been gradually advancing on Iraq’s second city, which has been under ISIS control since June 2014. Baghdad has also moved forward with controversial plans to form a National Guard to assist in the ongoing fight against ISIS, with Kurdish Peshmerga forces also entering a new phase of training after receiving renewed pledges of foreign military assistance.

Italy’s top defense official Luigi Benelli Manetelli on Tuesday pledged that his country would provide arms, ammunition and advanced weaponry to Peshmerga forces, while more than 50 Italian military experts are already providing Kurdish forces with training in the semi-autonomous region. Canadian and US experts have already trained as many as 4,000 Kurdish policemen, a local official said. The new Iraqi and Kurdish forces will not only assist in the fight against ISIS, but seek to ensure that any liberated territory does not fall back into ISIS hands.

Peshmerga Col. Kamran Hawrami told Asharq Al-Awsat: “We are in control of the final point of the Eski and Al-Kasak areas. Our next move will be towards Mosul, and we are just waiting for orders to be issued.”

“ISIS positions within Mosul are now within range of our guns and missiles, and we are continuously targeting them,” he added.

Dalshad Abdullah

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Kobane almost cleared of ISIS

January 2015, The YPG and YPJ has been battling ISIS for Months now. At first Turkey was blocking Kurds from bringing in men and material to fight ISIS. ISIS never gained full control of the city. They are still in good defensive positions on Eastern Kobane. The American air strikes may have helped some but without the Kurdish forces on the ground Kobane would now be in ISIS hands and the nut cases would be killing civilians for minor crimes or smoking cigarettes? Daesh is the scum of the earth,

This was done without the #FSA (who are not one militia but many and ever changing groups)

Now even before the battle for #Kobane is over the Kurds in Iraq have started to advance on ISIS forces in Mosul.

Hopefully we can get "Syrian" some boots on the ground to dislodge ISIS from Raqqa.