Video: Iraqi militias train, dream of liberating Mosul
- 9 years ago
A year after Mosul fell to the Islamic State (IS) group, the Iraqi government is heavily relying on militias to reverse the jihadist group’s territorial gains. But the militias are far from ready for the battlefield.
A group of men in combat fatigues gather around a machine gun in the plains of northern Iraq.
"Push the handle forward. Concentrate on the viewfinder," says the military instructor as a recruit takes a shot at target practice.
“Dammit,” huffs the recruit after a paltry round of firing, slamming his fist in the air in exasperation.
It’s been a slow, frustrating morning at this training camp for new recruits of the National Mobilisation Force for the Liberation of Nineveh, a branch of the Iraqi state-sponsored National Mobilisation Force, an umbrella organisation of militias sometimes called the Popular Mobilisation Force.
A year after Mosul fell to the Islamic State group (IS, also known as ISIS or ISIL), the Iraqi government is relying heavily on militias in a desperate bid to try and reverse the jihadist group’s sweeping territorial gains.
Since the start of the year, thousands of refugees who fled Mosul and the surrounding areas are training to wrest their lands back from IS group control. Around 8,000 people have already enrolled in the National Mobilisation Force for the Liberation of Nineveh Province. But the operation is progressing slowly due to a lack of weapons and funding.
This training camp, located about 20 kilometres from Mosul, can only accommodate around a thousand recruits, which means the 8,000-odd volunteers will have to be trained in turns. As a result, the fighters won’t receive more than a month’s training.
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A group of men in combat fatigues gather around a machine gun in the plains of northern Iraq.
"Push the handle forward. Concentrate on the viewfinder," says the military instructor as a recruit takes a shot at target practice.
“Dammit,” huffs the recruit after a paltry round of firing, slamming his fist in the air in exasperation.
It’s been a slow, frustrating morning at this training camp for new recruits of the National Mobilisation Force for the Liberation of Nineveh, a branch of the Iraqi state-sponsored National Mobilisation Force, an umbrella organisation of militias sometimes called the Popular Mobilisation Force.
A year after Mosul fell to the Islamic State group (IS, also known as ISIS or ISIL), the Iraqi government is relying heavily on militias in a desperate bid to try and reverse the jihadist group’s sweeping territorial gains.
Since the start of the year, thousands of refugees who fled Mosul and the surrounding areas are training to wrest their lands back from IS group control. Around 8,000 people have already enrolled in the National Mobilisation Force for the Liberation of Nineveh Province. But the operation is progressing slowly due to a lack of weapons and funding.
This training camp, located about 20 kilometres from Mosul, can only accommodate around a thousand recruits, which means the 8,000-odd volunteers will have to be trained in turns. As a result, the fighters won’t receive more than a month’s training.
Grandiose claims, vows to brin... Go on reading on our web site.
Visit our website:
http://www.france24.com
Like us on Facebook:
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