Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has announced the launch of a military operation aimed at retaking the western half of the city of Mosul from Islamic State (IS).
The operation is part of a large offensive to take the entire city back into government hands after it fell to IS in 2014.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Abadi declared on television yesterday: "We announce the start of a new phase in the operation. We are coming to Nineveh to liberate the western side of Mosul."
Reporting from the area, Al Jazeera's Osama Bin Javaid confirmed that several different groups would be involved in "a complex assault" on IS positions.
"[Mosul is] flanked from the eastern side by counter-terrorism forces, from the south by the Iraqi police, and from the north by the Iraqi military and the popular mobilisation forces, also known as the Shia militias," he said.
Western Mosul is densely populated and the United Nations has expressed concern regarding the welfare of citizens during the operation. According to the organisation, up to 650,000 residents may be trapped in the area.
Lise Grande, the UN's humanitarian coordinator in Iraq, said: "We are racing against the clock to prepare emergency sites south of Mosul to receive displaced families."
Leaflets have been dropped over the west of the city by the Iraqi army to warn residents that a liberation offensive is imminent.
-
A 34-year-old plane is at the center of the UPS crashIn the Spotlight Many air cargo companies use planes that are this old
-
Gen Z in Los Angeles, the end of ‘Stranger Things’ and a new mystery from the creator of ‘Breaking Bad’ in November TVthe week recommends This month's new television releases include ‘I Love L.A.,’ ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘Pluribus’
-
‘Security is no longer a function only of missiles and fighter jets’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Nigeria confused by Trump invasion threatSpeed Read Trump has claimed the country is persecuting Christians
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
