Peshmerga and Iraqi Special Forces Retake Mosul Dam - Obama

President Obama announced today that Kurdish Peshmerga and ISF Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) troops, backed by American warplanes, have retaken a strategically critical dam near Mosul, the latest in what the president described as a string of positive steps in halting the advance of Islamic States in Iraq.

“This operation demonstrates that Iraqi and Kurdish forces are capable of working together to take the fight (to the extremists),” Obama said in remarks at the White House. “If that dam was breached, it could have proven catastrophic.” (The New York times, 18 August)

Recapturing of Mosul Dam is the first major defeat for the Islamic State militants. American airstrikes against the Islamic State positions are indeed turning the tide of militants’ advance in Iraq. Coupled with Peshmerga ground operations, the IS fighters were prevented to mount a major attack on Erbil, lost control of two important Kurdish cities last week, and now the Mosul Dam is retaken by Kurdish and Iraqi forces.

The U.S. operations at the dam were the biggest intervention in Iraq by U.S. military since American troops pulled out of the country in 2011. USCENTCOM said that U.S. warplanes conducted 15 airstrike against Islamic State positions at Mosul Dam on Monday alone.

President Obama, speaking about the U.S. involvement in Iraq, added the following:

“We will continue to pursue a long-term strategy to turn the tide against ISIL by supporting new Iraqi government.”

Top photo credit: Kurdish Peshmerga forces took up positions on Monday near the Mosul Dam. (Lynsey Addario/The New York Times)

Bottom map and photo: Mosul Dam and The Tigris (Google/BBC)

Peshmerga Forces Push to Recapture Mosul Dam - UPDATE

UPDATE: Peshmerga and ISOF Retake Mosul Dam 

Update: President Obama announced on Monday that Peshmerga and ISF Counter-Terrorism Service troops, backed by U.S. warplanes, have retaken the Mosul Dam.

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Kurdish forces in northern Iraq conducted major counteroffensive operations to retake the strategic Mosul Dam, which was captured by Islamic State fighters early this month, Kurdish officials said. (BBC, 17 August)

U.S. warplanes began bombarding Islamic State positions near the dam in the early hours of Saturday morning local time, and conducted 23 airstrikes in less that two days around the area. The Kurdish Peshmerga forces then mounted their counteroffensive against the militants and reportedly engaged them in one of the fiercest fighting during the current conflict. The recapture of Mosul Dam would be Islamic State’s most significant defeat to date, and would ease concerns over potential catastrophes for major cities along the Tigris if the militants were to decide to flood the river, or were unable to maintain the integrity of the dam build over soft and shifting soil.

American airstrikes against IS positions are turning the tide of Islamic State's advances in Iraq, coupled with Peshmerga ground operations, that stopped an imminent attack on Erbil and freed two important Kurdish towns last week, and now the retaking of Mosul Dam. The operations at the dam are the biggest intervention in Iraq by U.S. military since American troops pulled out of the country in 2011.

Meanwhile, the U.S. air campaign picked up momentum today, with a total 14 airstrikes against the Islamic State reported on Sunday. U.S. also used bomber aircraft in addition to fighters and drones, the Kurdish media reported. 

UPDATE: Western bank of Mosul Dam still under Islamic State control. Kurdish officials had said earlier the dam was completely overtaken.

UPDATE: On Monday, U.S. warplanes conducted 15 airstrikes near Mosul Dam. (USCENTCOM, 18 August)

File photo: The Mosul Dam (Getty Images-AFP/BBC)

U.S. Hits Islamic State Positions Around Mosul Dam - UPDATE

IS Positions in Tel Keppe and Rabia Also Hit

Reports from Iraq indicate that the United States is hitting Islamic State's positions near the strategic Mosul Dam, in largest offensive yet against the militants. U.S. warplanes reportedly began hitting the IS positions in the area at 1:15 am local time (6:30 pm EST, 22:30 GMT.)

Islamic State fighters captured the strategic dam on the Tigris on 3 August. There have been serious concerns that the IS militants could cause catastrophic flood all the way from Mosul to Baghdad and the southern cities of Iraq along the Tigris. Even if the IS did not plan to purposely cause the flood, it is widely believed that it might not have adequate technical know-how to maintain the integrity of the dam and could cause its collapse.

UPDATE: US airstrikes are not limited to Mosul Dam area. Tel Keppe and Rabia are among locations hit tonight, Peshmerga sources said. (Twitter/@zaidbenjamin)

Top photo: U.S. jets file photo  (Reuters/Al Arabiya)
Bottom photo: Mosul dam (Gettty Images-AFP/BBC)