A much-anticipated Mosul offensive to liberate the city from Daesh began midnight Sunday, according to Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. It was reported earlier that the Iraqi army was gradually advancing toward Mosul, which officials in Baghdad vowed to liberate by the end of the year. In a statement, the KRG Peshmerga Ministry, said its forces deployed on the Khazir front - 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of Mosul - and the Iraqi army on southern Guver and Geyyara fronts began striking ISIL positions as of 4 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) Monday.
AA/MNA