English: Map of the Mosul offensive (2015), which was launched by Kurdish Peshmerga forces on January 20, 2015, besieging the city of Mosul from the northwest, northeast, and southeast. Peshmerga forces also cut the critical ISIL supply route from Ar-Raqqah to Mosul to the north of Tel Afar, seizing multiple villages in the region as well. 5,000 Peshmerga fighters also opened up another front to the northwest of Mosul, pushing towards the city, before stopping 6 miles short of the city limits on February 10. The offensive was heavily supported by the US-led Coalition. The offensive was the preparatory phase of the planned offensive to retake Mosul, in which Kurdish forces would cut off ISIL supply routes to the north and the west of Mosul, and hold the positions to prevent ISIL troop movement while Iraqi forces move in from the south. By the end of this offensive, at least 2,000 ISIL militants had been killed (both from Peshmerga attacks and intensive Coalition airstrikes).