The Next Battle Against ISIS

The Next Battle Against ISIS

 By Hailey Lawrence

 

Before  going into one of the most highly anticipated battle to retake the city of Mosul, US and Iraqi troops have one more battle to fight in their strategical way to defeat ISIS--a tactical and a psychological battle.

US troops at an Iraqi military base will be training troops for the Mosul battle

The city of Mosul has been under ISIS control since June 10, 2014, according to Daily Beast. At that time, Iraqi troops occupied it but fled due to the number of ISIS fighters. ISIS claimed Mosul to be their capital in Iraq. Since then, many operations have been in effect to retake Mosul from ISIS, many including air strikes and the US training Iraqi troops which will come to a close mid-October. The numbers needed to take back Mosul would require as many as 12 Iraqi brigades, as well as an untold number of Iraqi police, Kurdish peshmerga forces, and Shiite-dominated militias, according to the latest US estimates. Furthermore, on Wednesday, the Pentagon said that they will be sending 615 US troops to help fight alongside Iraqi troops.

While the numbers and strength seem very promising, there is one last thing to do before taking back Mosul--annex ISIS so they have nowhere else to go.

The last battle before the battle at Mosul will include taking the city of Hawijah from ISIS. The city has a population of 450,000 and is one of the last cities that ISIS has control over. In previous battles for reclaiming cities, ISIS has struggled with holding onto cities before fleeing to other cities. Because of this, they have focused more on claiming and keeping control over Mosul more than any other city. When Hawijah is taken, ISIS will have nowhere else to flee to. It is considered a tactical and a psychological victory, defense officials say. This operation will be quick and easy; it will be done long before the battle at Mosul will take place. Victory is nearly certain.

“We can’t say for certain because it is up to the Iraqis, but it looks like that is where they are headed next,” one defense official explained to The Daily Beast. “It’s back clearing.”

After the battle at Hawijah, ISIS will only have Mosul and after the taking of Mosul, that would be considered the "final battle" to rid Iraq of ISIS. The battle to take back Mosul is said to begin in early November.

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