A Kurdish fighter prepares his weapon at his combat position near the Mosul Dam at the town of Chamibarakat outside Mosul, Iraq, Aug 17, 2014.
(VOVworld) – Iraqi officials said Kurdish forces, backed by US fighter aircraft, have taken back Iraq's largest dam Mosul Dam from Islamic militants. An official from Iraq's main Kurdish party said the dam, which provides electricity and is crucial to irrigation in vast farming areas in Nineveh province, has been completely liberated. This is the Kurdish forces biggest victory since their offensives against the Islamic State (IS) in June. Though clashes have ended, several places around the dam were not accessible due to explosives placed by the IS gunmen.