Kurdish officials say Peshmerga forces attempting to capture Mosul from the Islamic State launched an attack against militants early Sunday.
A commander said 12 villages have been taken from ISIS, and Kurdish forces are headed to the target of the operation, Gwer, 25 miles southeast of Mosul, Reuters reports. In a statement released through its news service, ISIS said two militants detonated car bombs in one village to block the Kurdish troops, killing some Peshmerga; Kurdish officials did not confirm any deaths. Mosul is the largest urban area under the control of ISIS, and the U.S. envoy to the coalition fighting ISIS said preparations for the offensive on Mosul are "approaching the final phase."
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