Armored vehicles move towards Hamam al-Alil from Qayara, south of Mosul, Iraq, Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) Armored vehicles move towards Hamam al-Alil from Qayara, south of Mosul, Iraq, Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)Islamic State fighters forced thousands of civilians to retreat with them from Hamam al-Alil as Iraqi police were recapturing the town, and moved them towards Mosul airport, the UN said on Tuesday. The agency had received reports that the jihadists “forcibly moved about 1,500 families from Hamam al-Alil town to Mosul airport” on November 4. Iraqi forces have been tightening the noose around Mosul since launching the offensive on October 17, with elite troops last week breaching city limits.

Source: Indian Express November 08, 2016 16:54 UTC