Dramatic photos show Iraqi and Kurdish forces bombarding Islamic State (Daesh/Isis) positions in villages on the outskirts of Mosul. Iraq's prime minister announced that the battle to retake the city from Isis is going faster than planned.
An Iraqi forces M109 self-propelled howitzer fires towards the village of Tall al-Tibah, some 30 kilometres south of MosulAhmad al-Rubaye/AFP
The fighting thus far has been concentrated on a cluster of towns and villages that are mostly uninhabited and littered with roadside bombs planted by the militants, which has slowed the Iraqi advance. Militants are also using suicide car-bombs and snipers to resist the attack, and are pounding surrounding areas with mortars, a CTS commander said.
Clouds of black smoke hang over some frontline villages, probably caused by oil fires, a tactic the militants use to escape air surveillance.
A man takes a selfie in front of a wall of fire after oil was set ablaze in the Qayyarah areaYasin Akgul/AFPAn Iraqi man walks on a street backdropped by black smoke after an oil well was set ablaze in the Qayyarah areaYasin Akgul/AFPIraqi soldiers are seen as smoke rises from the Qayyarah area, some 60 kilometres (35 miles) south of MosulYasin Akgul/AFPIraqi forces covered in dust sit at the back of a vehicle as troops advance through the desert on the banks of the Tigris riverAhmad al-Rubaye/AFPDust-covered Iraqi troops sitting on a vehicle advance through the desert towards MosulAhmad al-Rubaye/AFPIraqi forces fire a M109 self-propelled howitzer towards the village of Al-Muftuya from a position in Kani al-Harami, some 35 kilometres of MosulBulent Kilic/AFPA member of the Iraqi Special Operations Forces kisses a Shia flag on the top of a military vehicle on the outskirts of Bartila, east of MosulAzad Lashkari/ReutersIraqi security forces gesture in Qayyarah, during an operation to advance on Islamic State militants in MosulAlaa Al-Marjani/Reuters
The Kurdish forces known as Peshmerga, who are also taking part in the offensive, announced a "large-scale operation" to the north and north-east of Mosul. Descending from the mountains northeast of Mosul, they used bulldozers and other heavy equipment to fill trenches and moved armoured vehicles into the breach after pounding IS positions below in the village of Barima. Military operations also appeared to be under way in the town of Bashiqa, north-east of Mosul.
Peshmerga forces fire an anti-aircraft gun towards Islamic State positions in the town of Naweran near MosulZohra Bensemra/ReutersIraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighters near the town of Bashiqa watch as smoke billows from an Islamic State positionSafin Hamed/AFPA cloud of dust and smoke rises from Islamic State positions in the town of Naweran near MosulZohra Bensemra/ReutersIraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighters hold a position in Sheikh Ali village near the town of Bashiqa, some 25 kilometres north east of MosulSafin Hamed/AFPMembers of the Peshmerga forces are seen inside a military vehicle north of MosulAri Jalal/ReutersIraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighters fire a multiple rocket launcher from a position in Sheikh Ali village near the town of BashiqaSafin Hamed/AFPPeshmerga forces prepare their anti-tank guided missiles near Islamic State militants' positions in the town of NaweranZohra Bensemra/ReutersKurdish Peshmerga fighters carry their injured comrade during fighting with Islamic State militants outside the town of Naweran near MosulZohra Bensemra/ReutersKurdish Peshmerga soldiers relax on a carpet in front of military vehicles parked along a road to MosulCarl Court/Getty Images
A US-led coalition that includes France, Italy, Britain, Canada and other western nations is providing air and ground support to the forces that are closing in on the city. The special forces are expected to lead the way into Mosul, where they will face fierce resistance in an urban landscape where IS militants are preparing for a climactic battle.
A flight deck crew member stands next to an F/A-18E Super Hornet just before take off for Mosul from the USS Dwight D EisenhowerHamad I Mohammed/ReutersA US serviceman inspects a bomb on an F/A-18E Super Hornet just before take-off from the USS Dwight D Eisenhower aircraft carrier in the Arabian GulfHamad I Mohammed/Reuters
Mosul is the last big stronghold held by Islamic State in Iraq and around five times the size of any other city the group has held. The push to capture it is expected to become the biggest battle fought in Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion.
The United Nations says Mosul could require the biggest humanitarian relief operation in the world, with worst-case scenario forecasts of up to a million people being uprooted by the battle. Some 1.5 million residents are still believed to be inside the city, and the jihadists have a history of using civilians as human shields.
Displaced people fleeing from clashes around Mosul arrive in QayyarahAlaa Al-Marjani/ReutersIraqi army soldiers in Qayyarah carry displaced children who fled the clashes around Mosul with their familiesAlaa Al-Marjani/ReutersWomen who recently fled Islamic State in Hawija queue to receive food at Debaga camp on the outskirts of ErbilZohra Bensemra/Reuters
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said controls were being put in place to check jihadists were not trying to insert themselves among those fleeing.
