Iraqi army with Kurdish Peshmerga pressing ISIL in Mosul

Mosul, Iraq, October 19 — Major offensive operation to retake Mosul is in full swing with Iraqi army leading the offensive. Meanwhile Kurdish Peshmerga force annihilated Islamic State (ISIL/Daesh) assault on city of Sinjar. Xinhua reports 47 militants neutralized.

Read the full article at Xinhua.

Our possible interpretation

Although Mosul is considered to be one of the last ISIL/Daesh strongholds in the region, retaking the city does not necessarily mean ISIL defeat. The media announcements ( essentially operational non-secrecy ) could possibly allow for strategic retreat of ISIL forces to coordinate future counter-attacks.