This night began the offensive for the reconquest of Mosul, a city considered the capital of the self-proclaimed Islamic State.
In the early hours of this morning, the Iraqi Army (IA), together with the Kurdish peshmerga, launched a heavy offensive aimed at recapturing the stronghold of Mosul, the Iraqi capital that fell under the control of ISIS since June 2014. The first Iraqi minister Haider al-Abadi announced in a speech that appeared on state networks that "the heroic operations to free the city from terror and the oppression of Daesh have begun", adding that this 'historic operation' will soon bring liberation of the Iraqi people.
According to international news agencies, this operation, supported by the air by the international US-led coalition, is the largest military activity taking place on Iraqi soil since the US invasion of 2003.
The videos released by the Iraqi Army report a rain of fire that is storming the stronghold of the IS after the launch of thousands of leaflets calling on the civilian population to leave the city for their own safety.
