Smoke billows in the background as Iraqi forces gather at the Qayyarah military base, about 60 kilometres (35 miles) south of Mosul, on October 16, 2016, as they prepare for an offensive to retake Mosul, the last IS- held city in the country, after regaining much of the territory the jihadists seized in 2014 and 2015. (Photo by Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP Photo)
