Iraqi Kurdish leader Massud Barzani said Saturday that preparations for the operation to retake Mosul from jihadists have been completed and it is time for the battle to begin.
Forces from Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region are expected to play a major role in the battle for Mosul, the country's second city, which has been held by the Islamic State group since June 2014.
"The time has come to begin the liberation of Mosul," a post on Barzani's official Twitter account said.
"All preparations for the battle to liberate Mosul have been completed," he said in a statement on the Kurdish regional presidency's website.
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