Region | Iraq
Iraq ready for 'final' battle with Al Qaida
Iraqi forces have begun a "decisive" final offensive against Al Qaida to push militants out of their last major stronghold, Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki said on Friday.
- Agencies
- Published: 14:51 January 25, 2008
Baghdad: Iraqi forces have begun a "decisive" final offensive against Al Qaida to push militants out of their last major stronghold, Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki said on Friday.
He said Iraqi soldiers were being sent to Mosul, where a massive blast blamed on Al Qaida killed 40 people and wounded 220 on Wednesday.
US military commanders describe Mosul as Al Qaida's last major urban stronghold in Iraq.
"We have set up an operations room in Nineveh to complete the final battle with Al Qaida along with guerrillas," Maliki said.
"Now we have a real army. The days when the militants could do anything in front of our armed forces are gone," he said.
Maliki gave no indication of the number of Iraqi troops involved or the potential scale of the operation.
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