ERBIL, Iraq
The Kurdistan Regional Government is ready to support Iraqi troops in their Mosul operation when required, KRG's President Masoud Barzani has said.
Barzani's comments came on Monday after U.S.-led coalition forces began supporting Iraqi troops against Daesh in Tikrit, following a request from Iraqi PM Haidar al-Abadi.
The operation is seen as a step towards seizing Mosul, Daesh’s largest stronghold in Iraq.
Barzani said during a meeting with Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn on Monday: "When the Iraqi government is ready, we can help also. We are waiting on the Iraqi troops.
"Daesh is a threat for everyone, but military techniques are not enough to fight against terrorism - the organization's financial and logistic sources should also be eradicated."
Critical test
Barzani said the Kurdistan Regional Government would not be part of the sectarian struggle in the region, according to a statement on the KRG's official website.
Iraqi security forces backed by Shiite militias launched a ground offensive against Daesh on March 2 to recapture Tikrit, a Sunni-majority strategic city about 180 kilometers (110 miles) northwest of Baghdad.
Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister praised the Kurdish peshmerga forces for their role in fighting Daesh.
"This war is not just Kurdistan's war, because Daesh is a threat for all of us," Jean Asselborn said.
The battle is seen as a critical test for Iraqi ground forces to seal off militants from their strongholds in northern Iraq, particularly the city of Mosul.
Clashes between Iraqi forces and Daesh have been ongoing since June 2014, when the armed group seized Mosul and other territories in Iraq.
The move prompted the U.S. to form an international coalition, which has launched numerous airstrikes against Daesh targets in both Iraq and Syria since August.
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