The Islamic State-affiliated Aamaq News released footage described as showing the aftermath of an American strike on a "milk factory" in the east of Mosul, in northern Iraq, on 19 March.

Amateur video posted to a social media website on Thursday 24 March shows firefighters battling to put out a blazing factory that was purportedly targeted by a US air strike in the Islamic State-held northern Iraq city of Mosul. The footage was uploaded to social media websites by Amaq news agency, which said the building was a milk factory.

On Thursday, Iraq's armed forces launched its long awaited offensive to recapture Mosul, which was seized by Daesh in June, 2014.

The city is by far the largest population centre controlled by the jihadists, and has already been cut off on three sides by the Peshmerga, who are less than 15km (9 miles) from its northern outskirts at some points along the front line.

Backed by Kurdish forces and a US-led coalition, the initial target is to retake the villages east of the river Tigris and then the oil town of Qayara on its western bank – an Isis hub linking Mosul with territory the militant group controls further east around Hawija.

The US-led coalition confirmed it carried out eight strikes on four separate Islamic State targets near Mosul on March 24, but made no specific mention of a milk factory.

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