Brett McGurk, US President Barack Obama’s special envoy to the US-led coalition, announced the launch of the operation on Saturday, the al-Forat television reported.
The offensive started by cutting the line connecting Mosul to the city of Raqqa, the Daesh (so-called Islamic State , IS , ISIS , ISIL) stronghold in Syria, McGurk said, describing the operation as complicated.
He further noted that the participation of US troops in the ground campaign will be possible only upon the request of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.
The northern and western parts of Iraq have been plagued by gruesome violence ever since Daesh mounted an offensive in the country in June 2014.
Mosul fell into the hands of the Daesh elements in the first stage of terrorists’ advance through the Arab country. The Iraqi army together with volunteer fighters has been engaged in operations to liberate militant-controlled regions.
They have managed to retake some key towns and villages, including Tikrit and Baiji in Salahuddin Province and the city of Ramadi, the capital of the western province of Anbar.