The tacit alliance, Iraqi troops alongside Shia militiamen, Kurdish fighters, Sunni Arab tribesmen and US special forces, underscores the importance of this battle. In a post Islamic State Iraq, the enmities and rivalries among the players in the anti-IS coalition could easily erupt. Since then, the military has been slowly rebuilding, while other armed forces such as Shia militias and Iraq’s Kurdish forces have steadily grown in strength. The most immediate question will be whether Shia militias and Kurdish forces will join the assault into mainly Sunni Arab Mosul. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has said all forces will participate in the Mosul operation, a nod to Kurdish and Shia militia demands.

Source: Dhaka Tribune September 25, 2016 16:18 UTC