Iraq Signs Deal To Repair, Maintain Mosul Dam

Iraq has signed a deal with a European company to repair and maintain the Mosul Dam in the north of the country.

Government spokesman Saad al-Hadithi said the contract -- worth $296 million -- was signed with Italy's Trevi Group on March 2.

Hadithi didn’t give a specific time frame for when the work would start but said it needs to be "as quickly as possible."

The Italian Foreign Ministry confirmed the contract had been signed.

Iraq’s largest dam, located outside the Islamic State-held city of Mosul, has recently made headlines amid concerns it could collapse.

The hydroelectric dam was built in the early 1980s on an unstable foundation that is constantly eroding, and a lapse in maintenance after the IS group briefly seized it in 2014 has weakened the already flawed structure.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters