WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The coalition of 19 nations, headed by the United States, is aiding the Iraqi Security Forces in the operation to liberate the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul, the US Central Command said in a release on Monday.
"The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) is leading a coalition of 19 nations to support the liberation of Mosul from Daesh," the release stated.
Early on Monday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi announced the start of the military operation to retake Mosul from the Daesh militants. Iraqi troops and their allies, including local Sunni militias, as well as Kurdish forces are involved in the offensive.
The US-led coalition is supporting the Iraqi Security Forces with air support, artillery, intelligence, advisors and forward air controllers, according to the Central Command.
The Daesh jihadist group, outlawed in Russia, seized Iraq’s second biggest city in 2014 along with a number of other northern and western Iraqi cities and towns.
