Iraq has recently begun the process of taking back the city of Mosul from ISIS. The City of Mosul is one of the northern-most points in the country of Iraq, and the Islamic State has had control of it since the summer of 2014.

Mosul is one of the Islamic State’s primary cities, and the government forces in Iraq have already managed to take control of some of the smaller, surrounding areas. The army that is being put together in the country includes U.S. military officials leading Kurdish soldiers, but they are not the only ones looking for a piece of Mosul.

Mosul lies right below the border of Turkey. Turkish soldiers have been stationed in the vicinity of Mosul for quite some time. The Turkish government does not agree with many of the beliefs of the Kurdish soldiers; however, they deeply believe that they should be part of the offense in the process of regaining the Islamic State’s capital. Even after Baghdad told the Turks to withdraw, their president, Tayyip Erdogan, responded with the comment, “We will be in the operation and we will be at the table. Our brothers are there and our relatives are there. It is out of the question that we are not involved.”

The Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi is very confident about the country’s ability to take back the lost city, especially after its recent success in gaining control of many other towns controlled by the Islamic State. al-Abadi stated, “We will soon meet in Mosul to celebrate in liberation and your salvation. We will rebuild what has been destroyed by this criminal gang.”

Although the offensive attack has seem effective and there is much hope in regaining control of Mosul, the forces of ISIS are still continually fighting back, doing whatever it takes to maintain their position. The group has recently unleashed a series of suicide car bombs and has reportedly begun attacking troops in places other than the forces approaching them in Mosul. There are risks that must be taken, but if the Iraqi government is able to take back the city of Mosul, it will certainly decrease the power of the Islamic State and begin to repair a broken nation.