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Battle for Mosul: Bid to retake Iraqi city from IS 'begins' Battle for Mosul: Operation to retake Iraqi city from IS 'begins'
(35 minutes later)
A military operation to recapture the Iraqi city of Mosul from so-called Islamic State (IS) has begun, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi says.A military operation to recapture the Iraqi city of Mosul from so-called Islamic State (IS) has begun, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi says.
An offensive to retake the city, Iraq's second largest, has been planned for months. The long-awaited assault from Kurdish Peshmerga, Iraqi government and allied forces is backed by the US-led coalition fighting IS in Iraq.
Mosul has been under IS control since June 2014. Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, has been under IS control since June 2014.
The UN has warned that the humanitarian impact could be "enormous", and possibly affect up to 1.2 million people living in and around the city. The UN has warned that the humanitarian impact could be "enormous", and affect up to 1.2 million people.
The assault from Kurdish Peshmerga and Iraqi government forces is backed by the US-led coalition fighting IS in Iraq.
Mosul is the group's last major stronghold in Iraq. The loss of the city, officials say, would mark the effective defeat of IS in the country.Mosul is the group's last major stronghold in Iraq. The loss of the city, officials say, would mark the effective defeat of IS in the country.
"The time of victory has come and operations to liberate Mosul have started," Mr Abadi said in an address broadcast on state television. In an address broadcast on state television in the early hours of Monday, Mr Abadi said: "The hour has come and the moment of great victory is near."
"Today I declare the start of these victorious operations to free you from the violence and terrorism of Daesh," he said, using another name for IS. "Today I declare the start of these victorious operations to free you from the violence and terrorism of Daesh," he added, using another name for IS.
It was from Mosul that IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a caliphate - a state governed in accordance with Islamic law - in territory controlled by the group in Iraq and Syria. Dressed in military uniform and surrounded by Iraqi officers, he vowed that only government forces would enter Mosul, a Sunni-majority city.
There are no firm figures on how many people remain in Mosul, but there were more than two million when IS took the city in June 2014. It was from there that IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a caliphate - a state governed in accordance with Islamic law - in territory controlled by the group in Iraq and Syria.
Thousands of leaflets were dropped on the city warning that the operation was imminent. An operation to retake the city, capital of the Nineveh governorate, has been planned for months.
Brig Gen Haider Fadhil told AP news agency that more than 25,000 troops would take part in the offensive.
The US envoy to the coalition against IS, Brett McGurk, said on Twitter: "We are proud to stand with you in this historic operation."
Thousands of leaflets have been dropped in recent days warning that the offensive was imminent.
There are no firm figures on how many people remain in Mosul, but there were more than two million there when IS took it more than two years ago.
The group has lost almost a quarter of the territory it once controlled, according to new data.