TEHRAN (Tasnim) � Iraq�s Minister of Defense Khalid al-Ubaydi said an extensive military operation underway to liberate the city of Mosul from the Daesh (ISIL) terrorist group�s control involves only Iraqi forces.





The Arabic-language al-Ahed news website quoted Ubaydi as ruling out participation of American military forces in the Mosul operation.

There are sufficient Iraqi security forces to carry out the mission, and they are doing very well and have achieved great victories so far, the defense minister underlined.

The comments come as the Iraqi military and its allies are preparing to launch a large-scale offensive to liberate the northern city of Mosul, which Daesh has proclaimed its headquarters in Iraq. Mosul fell to Daesh terrorists in summer 2014.

A 2015 offensive to retake the city came to a halt after Daesh militants overran the city of Ramadi, which is the capital of the western province of Anbar and about 110 kilometers west of Baghdad. Ramadi was liberated in December 2015.

On June 18 this year, Iraqi forces launched another attack to retake the southern parts of Mosul, one day after they retook Fallujah.

Iraqi government forces, backed by fighters from allied Popular Mobilization Units, have been pushing the militants out of the country�s territory.

By Tasnim News Agency