Hashd Al-Shaabi Denies US Partnership in Liberation of Mosul

Rasa - Iraqi volunteer forces (Hashd al-Shaabi) Spokesman Karim al-Nouri blasted Washington for its support for the terrorist groups, and said the US played no role in retaking Mosul from the ISIL.

News ID: 430712

Date: 01 July 2017 - 23:56

RNA - "The (US-led) international coalition has not been serious about fighting against the ISIL because the terrorist group moves in line with the US national security interests. Also, the international coalition doesn’t fight against the ISIL and it even sometimes helps them," al-Nouri said on Saturday.

Stressing that Hashd al-Shaabi has liberated different Iraqi territories without reliance on Americans' assistance, he said, "Washington wants to include itself in the final victory over the ISIL, but I should stress that this victory was gained by the Iraqis and the US has played no role in it (liberation of Mosul)."

After heavy and door-to-door battles for 12 days in Mosul, Iraqi forces captured on Thursday the wrecked historic mosque of Mosul in which the ISIL terrorist group proclaimed its self-styled 'caliphate' three years ago.

Taking the Grand al-Nuri Mosque gave a symbolic victory to the Iraqi forces who have been battling for more than eight months to capture Mosul, the Northern city that served as ISIL's de-facto capital in Iraq.

In a statement on Thursday, the Iraqi premier announced an end to ISIL's "state of falsehood" following the recapture of the historical Grand al-Nuri Mosque at the heart of Mosul.

"The return of al-Nuri Mosque and al-Hadba minaret to the fold of the nation marks the end of the Daesh state of falsehood," Abadi said.

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