Nouri al-Maliki said at a news briefing Wednesday that "the aim of the offensive is to clear Mosul of the criminal terrorist gangs, putting an end to people's suffering," Voices of Iraq reported.

Maliki praised the work of tribal leaders in the area for "helping military troops … to impose the rule of law" and said the efforts there would not be possible without the help of the people of Mosul.

Lt. Gen. Riad Jalal Tawfiq, who commands the Mosul operation, said the aim of the operation, code-named Lion's Roar, targets al-Qaida and other militant groups operating in all of Iraq's northern Ninewa province.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi air force took part in major military operations for the first time in overnight reconnaissance missions backing Iraqi and U.S.-led forces in Mosul.

"The air force managed to secure a 24-hour video transmission of all Ninewa's streets and neighborhoods to the Ninewa operations command and to military commanders through a state-of-the-art system," said air force spokesman Gen. Mohammed al-Askari.

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