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"Iraq's army spokesman says security forces and Kurdish fighters have taken back the strategic Mosul Dam, the country's largest, from Islamic militants who captured it less than two weeks ago.\nLt. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi told The Associated Press that Kurdish peshmerga forces and Iraqi anti-terrorism troops retook the dam on Monday.\nSee also: Airstrikes Target Islamic State Militants at Iraq Dam After 'Massacre' of Religious Minority\nAl-Mousawi says the troops were backed by aerial support but he didn't specify whether there were U.S. airstrikes during the battle. Iraqi state TV also reported the capture.\nIraq's recapturing of the entire Mosul Dam complex on the Tigris River and the territory surrounding its reservoir is a significant victory against the Islamic State group, which seized large swaths of northern and western Iraq this summer.\nThe dam supplies electricity and water to a large part of the country.\n\nSmoke rising in the distance on far side of Mosul Dam Lake. Can hear fighter jets circling overhead #Iraq pic.twitter.com/Lk2OeFEGlD\n\u2014 Kate Benyon-Tinker (@katebt3000) August 18, 2014\n\nThe Kurdish victory comes after the U.S. expanded its air campaign in Iraq with attacks aimed at helping Iraqi forces regain control of the dam.\nThe White House said President Barack Obama notified Congress Sunday that the widened mission would be limited in duration and scope.\nThe administration's letter to Congress said \"the mission is consistent with the president's directive that the U.S. military protect U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq, since the failure of the Mosul Dam could threaten the lives of large numbers of civilians and threaten U.S. personnel and facilities \u2014 including the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.\" It also noted that the failure of the dam could \"prevent the Iraqi government from providing critical services\" to the Iraqi people\nThe letter said: \"I am providing this report as part of my efforts to keep the Congress fully informed, consistent with the War Powers Resolution.\"\nWhite House spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said the operations are being undertaken in coordination with and at the request of the government of Iraq.\nThe latest round of U.S. airstrikes in Iraq against the Islamic State extremist group includes the first reported use of land-based bombers in the military campaign.\nThe U.S. military says U.S. forces conducted nine strikes Saturday and another 16 on Sunday. The second round of strikes damaged or destroyed 10 armed vehicles, seven Humvees, two armored personnel carriers and one checkpoint, the U.S. said.\nHave something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.\n      window._msla=window.loadScriptAsync||function(src,id){if(document.getElementById(id))return;var js=document.createElement('script');js.id=id;js.src=src;document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0].parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);};\n_msla(\"//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js\",\"twitter_jssdk\");"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2014/08/18/kurdish-troops-retake-mosul-dam/>