Iraqi Forces Resume Mosul Offensive

Iraqi security forces have resumed the offensive against the Daesh terrorist group in Mosul, the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service (ICTS) said Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Friday, Iraqi forces announced a pause in the Mosul operation to consolidate previous gains around the Daesh-held city.

"At 06:30 #ICTS & Ninth armor division & 3rd Brigade from the 1st Squad & the 16th Infantry Division headed towards the left bank of #Mousel," the security agency said via its official Twitter account.

At 06:30 #ICTS & Ninth armor division & 3rd Brigade from the 1st Squad & the 16th Infantry Division headed towards the left bank of #Mousel pic.twitter.com/KNJorO4zoy

— جهاز مكافحة الإرهاب (@iraqicts) 31 октября 2016 г.

​The offensive is set to focus on the eastern bank of the Tigris river, which runs through Mosul and splits the city in half.

Kurdish Peshmerga forces have also reportedly continued to advance on the city, with some units around five kilometers (three miles) away from city center.

"We have accomplished our mission and now we are about five to six kilometers away from Mosul," a Peshmerga commander, Sihad Barzani, told the Iraqi Kurdistan-based Rudaw news agency.

On October 17, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi announced the start of the operation to retake Mosul from Daesh terrorist group outlawed in Russia and a number of other states. More than 30,000 Iraqi and 4,000 Kurdish fighters are taking part in the offensive, backed by about 5,000 US troops and supported by coalition airstrikes.