US Airstrikes Continue as Iraq Claims ‘Most’ of Mosul Dam

Fighting Over Iraq's Mosul Dam 'Not Over Yet'

US airstrikes pounded several ISIS vehicles as well as checkpoints on the ground near the Mosul Dam today, as Iraqi and Kurdish forces pushed the offensive against the valuable hydroelectric dam.

As with yesterday, officials say they are “close” to having retaken the dam, while some Iraqi officials even jumped the gun to declare it “liberated” from ISIS. ISIS denied losing any of it. The fighting, however, continues.

“It’s not over yet,” noted one US military official, who added “we knew this would be long.” The dam has been contested for weeks now, and both sides have repeatedly claimed victory.

At this point, Kurdish and Iraqi officials are saying they have “most” of the dam, without saying exactly what that means. Last night, Kurdish Peshmerga officials put the figure at 80%, and it is unclear if that has changed with the continued fighting.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.