Iraqi armed forces continue offensives against the Islamic state in the northern Nineveh province. A military statement described this as the first stage of an operation aimed at liberating the city of Mosul.
Nicknamed the "Fatah Operation", the assault was launched on Thursday from the Makhmur area. Military experts say the operation will last months, and Iraqi officials say they will retake Mosul, the capital of Nineveh, by this year. The province lies northwest of Iraq, bordering Syria. Mosul, taken over by ISIL in June 2014, has become the headquarters of the group.
Experts say Iraqi military forces have made great success in the past six months.
