Battles this Week

Iraqi forces deploy in the area of al-Shourah, some 45 kms south of Mosul, as they advance towards the city to retake it from the Islamic State (IS) group jihadists, on October 17, 2016. (Photo by Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP Photo)

A picture taken on October 17, 2016 from the top of Mount al-Shourah shows smoke billowing as Iraqi forces deploy in the area, some 45 kms south of Mosul, while advancing towards the city to retake it from the Islamic State (IS) group jihadists. Some 30,000 federal forces are leading the offensive, backed by air and ground support from a 60-nation US-led coalition, in what is expected to be a long and difficult assault on IS's last major Iraqi stronghold. (Photo by Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP Photo)

Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighters fire a mortar shell from the top of Mount Zardak, about 25 kilometres east of Mosul, as they take part in an operation against Islamic State (IS) group jihadists, on October 17, 2016. (Photo by Safin Hamed/AFP Photo)

A Peshmerga convoy drives towards a frontline in Khazer, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) east of Mosul, Iraq, Monday, October 17, 2016. The Iraqi military and the country's Kurdish forces say they launched operations to the south and east of militant-held Mosul early Monday morning. (Photo by Bram Janssen/AP Photo)

Peshmerga forces gather on the east of Mosul during preparations to attack Mosul, Iraq, October 16, 2016. (Photo by Azad Lashkari/Reuters)

A member from western forces stands with his weapon in the east of Mosul, Iraq, October 17, 2016. (Photo by Azad Lashkari/Reuters)

A member of Peshmerga forces stands on a military vehicle in the east of Mosul, Iraq, October 17, 2016. (Photo by Azad Lashkari/Reuters)

Peshmerga forces advance in the east of Mosul to attack Islamic State militants in Mosul, Iraq, October 17, 2016. (Photo by Azad Lashkari/Reuters)

A member of Peshmerga forces sits in the back of the military vehicle in the east of Mosul during operation to attack Islamic State militants in Mosul, Iraq, October 17, 2016. (Photo by Azad Lashkari/Reuters)

A rebel fighter stands near a Turkish tank as it fires towards Guzhe village, northern Aleppo countryside, Syria October 17, 2016. (Photo by Khalil Ashawi/Reuters)

Rebel fighters move an injured fellow member into an ambulance, after bringing him from the Guzhe frontline, near Guzhe village, northern Aleppo countryside, Syria October 17, 2016. (Photo by Khalil Ashawi/Reuters)

A Turkish tank drives near Guzhe village, northern Aleppo countryside, Syria October 17, 2016. (Photo by Khalil Ashawi/Reuters)

An Iraqi policeman tries on a gasmask 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)

Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighters hold a position on the top of Mount Zardak, about 25 kilometres east of Mosul, on October 17, 2016. Thousands of Iraq's Kurdish peshmerga forces advanced on jihadist-held villages east of Mosul as part of a broad operation to retake the city from the Islamic State group. (Photo by Safin Hamed/AFP Photo)

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)

Iraqi forces deploy in the area of al- Shourah, some 45 kms south of Mosul, as they advance towards the city to retake it from the Islamic State (IS) group jihadists, on October 17, 2016 Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al- Abadi announced earlier in the day that the long- awaited operation to recapture Mosul was under way. (Photo by Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP Photo)

Iraqi forces gather in the area of al-Shourah, some 45 kms south of Mosul, as they advance towards the city to retake it from the Islamic State (IS) group jihadists, on October 17, 2016. (Photo by Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP Photo)

Kurdish security forces take up a position as they fight overlooking the Islamic State-controlled in villages surrounding Mosul, in Khazer, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) east of Mosul, Iraq, Monday, October 17, 2016. Iraqi government and Kurdish forces, backed by U.S.-led coalition air and ground support, launched coordinated military operations early on Monday as the long-awaited fight to wrest the northern city of Mosul from Islamic State fighters got underway. (Photo by AP Photo)

A peshmerga convoy drives towards a frontline in Khazer, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) east of Mosul, Iraq, Monday, October 17, 2016. (Photo by AP Photo)

Iraqi forces are deployed during an offensive to retake Mosul from Islamic State militants outside Mosul, Iraq, Monday, October 17, 2016. Columns of Iraqi and Kurdish forces backed by U.S.-led airstrikes slowly advanced on Mosul from several directions on Monday, launching a long-awaited operation to retake Iraq's second largest city from the Islamic State group. (Photo by Khalid Mohammed/AP Photo)

Iraqi forces are deployed during an offensive to retake Mosul from Islamic State militants outside Mosul, Iraq, Monday, October 17, 2016. (Photo by Khalid Mohammed/AP Photo)

The Commander of the Joint Military Operation Commander, Army Lt. Gen. Talib Shaghati, walks in the town of Khazer, Iraq, Monday, October 17, 2016. He praised the role of the U.S.-led International Coalition as “very important” through carrying out airstrikes and sharing intelligence. Citing intelligence information, he claimed some IS militants were fleeing Mosul to Syria along with their families. (Photo by Khalid Mohammed/AP Photo)

Iraqi forces are deployed during an offensive to retake Mosul from Islamic State militants outside Mosul, Iraq, Monday, October 17, 2016. (Photo by Khalid Mohammed/AP Photo)

A Kurdish peshmerga fighter prays on the frontline during the battle against the Islamic State group as Kurdish forces advance towards villages surrounding Mosul on Monday, October 17, 2016. The Iraqi military and the country's Kurdish forces say they launched operations to the south and east of militant-held Mosul early Monday morning. (Photo by Bram Janssen/AP Photo)

Thousands of Kurdish fighters known as peshmerga set out at sunrise from the village of Asquf heading towards Mosul to recapture villages on the city’s eastern approaches occupied by the Islamic State militant group on October 17, 2016. (Photo by Kareem Fahim/The Washington Post)

Peshmerga forces attack Deash targets in Bertela region with the Katyusha rocket launcher during an operation to retake Iraq's Mosul from Deash in Iraq on October 17, 2016. A much anticipated Mosul offensive to liberate the city from Daesh began midnight Sunday, according to Iraqi Prime Minister. (Photo by Yunus Keles/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Smoke rises at Tercille village following a Deash suicide car bomb attack as Peshmerga forces deployed on Khazir front attack on Daesh targets during an operation to liberate Mosul from Daesh terrorist organization on October 17, 2016 in Mosul, Iraq. (Photo by Hamit Huseyin/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Peshmerga forces located at Mosul's Zardak mountain attack Deash with howitzers during an operation to retake Iraq's Mosul from Deash in Iraq on October 17, 2016. (Photo by Hemn Baban/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Kurdish pesh merga troops fire at Islamic State positions as they move toward the Iraqi town of Badana Pichwk on Monday morning, October 17, 2016. Kurdish forces began Monday advancing on a string of villages east of Mosul, the start of a long-awaited campaign to reclaim Iraq's second-largest city from the Islamic State, which seized it more than two years ago, officials said. (Photo by Bryan Denton/The New York Times)

Kurdish pesh merga troops move toward the Iraqi town of Badana Pichwk on Monday morning, October 17, 2016. (Photo by Bryan Denton/The New York Times)

18 Oct 2016 12:27:00, post received 0 comments