17 October 2016
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has announced the start of an offensive aimed at retaking the city of Mosul from Islamic State militants, who have stamped out its rich mix of ethnic and religious cultures.
He spoke on state TV in the early hours of Monday, Reuters reported. The fight is expected to be the biggest battle in Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion which toppled Saddam Hussein.
Click here for some facts about Mosul, which had a population of about 2 million before the Sunni militants seized it in 2014. Mosul became the largest city to fall to the jihadists.
© Express 2016
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has announced the start of an offensive aimed at retaking the city of Mosul from Islamic State militants, who have stamped out its rich mix of ethnic and religious cultures.
He spoke on state TV in the early hours of Monday, Reuters reported. The fight is expected to be the biggest battle in Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion which toppled Saddam Hussein.
Click here for some facts about Mosul, which had a population of about 2 million before the Sunni militants seized it in 2014. Mosul became the largest city to fall to the jihadists.
© Express 2016
