Special operations forces approaching Mosul.
The armed forces of Iraq and the Kurds, who are taking part in the special operation to liberate the city of Mosul from Islamic state, are at a distance of from 5 to 12 kilometers from the city on the southern, Eastern and Northern directions.
At the weekend, the Iraqi army captured a strategic town Bartala, located 12 kilometers East of Mosul. Iraqi forces also Hamdane the city where the roads leading to the South-East of Mosul.
Also the Iraqi army on 23 October recaptured the village of tal Kaif, five kilometers from Mosul.
Recall that the operation to liberate Mosul from ISIL began on 16 October. After that, government forces cleared ISIS from several villages located near Mosul.
Mosul is under the control of the Islamists since 2014. This is the last major city in Iraq, which is under the control of insurgents. The city is home to about 1.5 million people.
