WorldBAGHDAD, REUTERS -Iraqi troops resumed on Monday a coordinated offensive towards Mosul, the last major city held by Islamic State, targeting the eastern bank of the Tigris river that divides the city, military officials said. Iraqi security forces and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters started the offensive on Oct. 17, with air and ground support from the U.S.-led coalition against the hardline Sunni group. Pro-Iranian Iraqi Shi'ite militias joined the fighting on Saturday, aiming to cut the route between Mosul and Raqqa, Islamic State's main stronghold in Syria. “The operation to liberate the left bank of Mosul has started,” said a military statement, referring to the eastern bank of the river that flows from north to south. Another statement said five villages were taken north of Mosul, where Peshmerga fighters are also being deployed.

Source: Sunday Times October 31, 2016 11:30 UTC