Iraqi, Kurdish forces claim defeat of insurgents at strategic Mosul Dam

WaPo ^ | 8/18/14 | Liz Sly, Craig Whitlock and Loveday Morris

[mojito]

Iraqi and Kurdish forces claimed Monday that they ejected Islamic State fighters from a strategically vital dam in northern Iraq, after waves of U.S. airstrikes scattered the radical Islamist militants in the biggest push yet to reverse their blitz through the country.

Fighting continued on the western bank of the lake at the head of the Mosul Dam, and government troops were unable to enter the facility because it was booby-trapped by the retreating militants, officials said.

But the officials claimed that Islamic State fighters were on the run after the offensive launched by Iraqi special forces and Kurdish pesh merga fighters backed by U.S. air support on Sunday.

The U.S. military’s Central Command said the airstrikes continued Monday, with a mix of fighter jets, bombers and drones successfully conducting 15 strikes against Islamic State targets near the Mosul Dam. It said the airstrikes damaged or destroyed nine fighting positions, a checkpoint, six armed vehicles, a light armored vehicle, a vehicle-mounted antiaircraft gun and an “emplacement belt” for improvised explosive devices, known as IEDs.

“All aircraft exited the strike areas safely,” the Central Command said in a statement. It said U.S. forces have carried out a total of 68 airstrikes in Iraq since Aug. 8, of which 35 have been in support of Iraqi forces near the Mosul Dam.

[mojito]

A strategic victory, to be sure, but oddly, it doesn't sound like the dam was heavily defended.

[gleeaikin]

The article says the Kurds have not entered the dam because it is heavily mined. I hope we have the experts there to help them defuse it. Hope there are no delayed timing devices.

[VRW Conspirator]

The best of all worlds is for the Iraqi’s to put down this invasion themselves and claim victory, imo.

[Bringbackthedraft]

The best of all worlds is for the Iraqi’s to put down this invasion themselves and claim victory, imo.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Ya gotta be kidding. Iraqis = Victory?? More like, let the Kurds do it and we here in Baghdad will take all the credit. Remember the Iraq - Iran war? It was a stale mate, even with our help the Iraqis couldn’t beat the Iranian half ass force. As far as I can tell, in one of the Ambrose’s books, Ambrose interviewed vets who served in Africa and they described the Arabs as thieves and cut throats, not soldiers. Kinda like this IS BS.

[itssme]

God bless the brave, skilled, determined Kurds, and the Iraqi Army, under new leadership. May God give them the inner strength to fight the enemy to the death.