Bashiqa, Iraq – Northeast of Mosul, Peshmerga (military of Iraqi Kurdistan) soldiers plan their attacks against Daesh (ISIS) from their base in mountainous Bashiqa. Surrounded by humvees, trucks, ambulances, and plenty of guns, they are hardly the only fighting force in the area.
The Turkish military has a base in Bashiqa too, and train anti-Daesh Sunni militias from there. The Mosul offensive as a whole is being led by the Iraqi army, who are backed by the US-led anti-Daesh coalition as well as the Popular Mobilization Units – largely Shia militias supported by Iran.
Clearly, everybody wants a piece of the action that is taking Mosul – Daesh’s biggest city – back from the militant group. Take a look at the various groups fighting Daesh for Mosul.
Adam Lucente