(Zohra Bensemra/Reuters)Iraqi and Kurdish forces have relied heavily on U.S.-led coalition jets as they have won back territory from the Islamic State. Iraqi forces gather after the liberation of a village from the Islamic State south of Mosul on Oct. 21, 2016, during the operation against the militants. The heavy air backing has boosted the confidence of Iraqi and Kurdish forces but also has left them dependent on the help. [Islamic State forces attack Iraq’s oil-rich city of Kirkuk]The Kirkuk governor, Najmiddin Karim, said Kurdish helicopters were called in to put an end to the incursion. The Kurdish official said air support was “virtually non-existent” in some areas as around 10,000 Kurdish soldiers known as peshmerga launched a new offensive from the north.

Source: Washington Post October 21, 2016 21:35 UTC