MOSCOW (Sputnik) — One of the biggest facilities producing explosives to be installed on vehicles has been discovered in a village to the east of Mosul.
"There is a big number of land mines, timing mechanisms… the militants have prepared them with the aim to attack security forces in Nineveh Governorate… the security forces have also discovered a 3 km [1.8 mile] tunnel, which lies from the eastern part of Mosul to the center of the Nineveh [ancient] city. The tunnel is equipped with electricity and coolers," a security source told the broadcaster on Thursday.
On October 17, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi announced the start of a military operation to retake Mosul from Daesh.
According to local media, about 30,000 Iraqi soldiers and 4,000 Kurdish Peshmerga fighters are taking part in the operation, backed by airstrikes carried out by the US-led international coalition.