Shia militias aim to cut Daesh supplies at Tel Afar

Shia forces in Iraq aim to cut off the western supply route used by Daesh out of Mosul today, the leader of the largest militia in the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) told Iraqi television.

“Today, God willing, is the completion of the first stage of the [PMF] operations…[to cut] the supply route of the enemy between Tel Afar and the Muhalabiya district, reaching to Mosul,” Hadi Al-Amiri, the leader of the Badr Organisation said.

Badr is the largest militia in the PMF umbrella organisation of Iran-backed, predominantly Shia forces who are an official arm of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF).

Al-Amiri said the militias also intended ultimately to cut off the main highway between Mosul and Tel Afar, but said that the Muhalabiya route was the priority because it was the one used by the militants since they took over Mosul two years ago.

“This is the area Daesh entered Mosul from,” he said. “Severing this road means to completely cut off the enemy’s supply lines and surround them.”

Tel Afar lies about 60 kilometres west of Mosul, on the way to Daesh-controlled regions of neighbouring Syria. Cutting off the western side of the city will leave Daesh besieged on four axes, and will limit large scale movements.

However, Daesh still have the ability to traverse terrain cross-country in smaller units, raising the prospects of Daesh militants being able to withdraw from Mosul later in the battle for Iraq’s second city and evade capture.

The ISF and Kurdish Peshmerga forces have been advancing from the south, east and north of Mosul since launching an offensive to recapture the city on 17 October.

They were joined five days ago by the PMF, which launched their offensive towards Tel Afar on Mosul’s western flank, drawing concern that they may commit atrocities against the predominantly Sunni Turkmen town similar to what occurred in Fallujah last summer.