How thrilled are Peshmerga to finally be marching into Mosul? In the following clip, they are about to be sent off to battle. Tense? Quite the contrary – the mood seems jovial.
Peshmerga and Iraqi forces have been pushing towards Mosul for the past several weeks, liberating towns and villages along the way.
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I’ve had a front row seat to all the action, thanks to my good friend Ahmed. We met when I traveled to Iraq last year to report on the status of ISIS and, at the time, the situation was extremely frustrating. Peshmerga were incredibly eager to defeat ISIS once and for all, but they had to wait for orders from the top.
The operation to clear ISIS out of Mosul has been a long time coming. Many have died during this waiting period, killed by senseless ISIS suicide bombs and surprise attacks.
That’s Ahmed shooting the video. He learned to speak English by watching American movies – pretty impressive! He has sent me many more clips that provide a stunning window into the situation on the ground. The aftermath of suicide bombers, towns utterly destroyed, burned out oil barrels as far as the eye can see, and more.
Stay tuned for more updates from Ahmed on the road to Mosul.
Here’s Peshmerga, seemingly without a care in the world, getting ready to take on ISIS. WATCH:
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