Heytem Haşim Muhtaroğlu, head of the Iraqi Turkmen Front, told Sputnik that prior to the Mosul offensive the Iraqi army and Peshmerga forces intend to liberate the town of Havice, located in the southeastern part of Kirkuk province, which is currently held by Daesh forces.
According to him, the Iraqi military spent the last several days deploying additional forces and heavy weaponry in the vicinity of the town.
"Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi arrived at Kirkuk today and gave the order to begin the operation in a few hours. If the town of Havice is captured, it would make the Mosul operation much easier. Havice is a town of strategic importance because of its location between Kirkuk and Mosul," Muhtaroğlu said.
He also said that the Mosul offensive is scheduled to begin on October 19.
Mosul has been under control of Daesh since 2014, and remains their main stronghold. The US-led coalition of more than 60 nations has been conducting airstrikes against Daesh in Iraq since then.
