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Battle for Mosul begins: Iraqi and Kurdish forces launch assault on Isis stronghold – latest news Battle for Mosul: Isis stronghold under attack from Iraqi and Kurdish forces launch assault on – latest news
(35 minutes later)
8.32am BST
08:32
Kurdish peshmerga forces are leading the first attack on Mosul’s eastern front, an Iraqi special forces commander has told the Associated Press.
According to the US news agency’s latest report from the battle:
Lt. Col. Ali Hussein says his men are also anxious to move out to the front line as soon as possible but that he expects they will wait near the town of Khazer for another day or two. He spoke just hours after the long-awaited battle for Mosul began on Monday morning.
According to Hussein, an earlier political deal between the country’s Kurdish region and the central government in Baghdad has agreed that Kurdish forces would advance first and bring a cluster of villages the home of Christian, Shabak and other minority groups under their regional control.
Saud Masoud, also with the special forces, says that after the Kurdish troops ‘take the area that they want,’ the special forces will then move to the new front and continue the push into Mosul.
Guardian reporter Martin Chulov is with Kurdish forces, so we may hear more from him about their movements soon.
8.22am BST
08:22
Fears over the safety of civilians in Mosul come after reports that Isis militants have banned any from leaving the city, setting up checkpoints on roads and blowing up the homes of those who have already fled to deter others.
Militants have already moved into residential areas to try to deter US airstrikes from making targets of positions near homes. One refugee who recently fled Mosul, Abu Ammar, 47, told the Guardian that he and his family spent six hours walking through the night, through fields they feared were peppered with mines, to escape. He said:
My kids hadn’t left the house for weeks, because they were afraid of the US airstrikes, they were bombing residential areas, close to our home. The noise is horrible, windows get broken, the whole house shakes, and people get hysterical.
I only went out if I needed to do some shopping, and tried my best to avoid Isis militants. Mostly we borrowed wheat from a neighbour, because we couldn’t afford to buy it. I’m a government employee and haven’t been paid for two years. The only places that are open in Mosul are petrol stations, and shops with goods from Syria.
I was trying to find a way out for months, a job somewhere to feed the kids, but I was scared to take the route to Erbil because it is planted with mines. I finally agreed to leave with four other families one night, but at the last minute the others dropped out.
They said they had been tipped off that Isis had set up many checkpoints along the way and might capture us. I insisted on going anyway. We walked through the night for more than six hours, with my kids frightened and begging to go back.
Amina Najib, 45, speaking from Mosul city centre, told the Guardian that she and her family had decided the risk of trying to escape was too great. They have stockpiled a few essentials in a room in their house to use as a shelter. She said:
People here have nothing to talk about except the horrific war that will be launched against the city soon. But in the end we reckoned it was better to stay home than risk getting caught by Isis trying to flee. My son has already had 20 lashes just for using a mobile in the street.
I prepared a room in the house as a shelter with just some wheat to make bread and a few kilos of rice.
Most locals don’t have any cash because the government stopped paying its employees two years ago, and all our savings are wiped out. Pensioners are the lucky ones, they still get their pension via credit card, so our money comes from my cousin who is a retired teacher.
People are worried about what comes after liberation. It is true we want to get rid of Isis but can you trust who will take power after?
8.12am BST
08:12
A senior U.N. official says he’s “extremely concerned” for the safety of civilians in Mosul, who may be trapped between the lines or held as human shields as the attack begins on the city.
Stephen O’Brien, the under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, said in a statement last night:
Families are at extreme risk of being caught in cross-fire or targeted by snipers. Tens of thousands of Iraqi girls, boys, women and men may be under siege or held as human shields. Thousands may be forcibly expelled or trapped between the fighting lines. Children, women, the elderly and disabled will be particularly vulnerable. Depending on the intensity and scope of the fighting, as many as one million people may be forced to flee their homes in a worst-case scenario.
I renew my call on all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and ensure they have access to the assistance they are entitled to and deserve. Nothing is more important.
O’Brien gave a warning that despite the efforts of aid workers, there is not enough capacity to handle a humanitarian crisis of the scale the attack could bring.
Despite generous contributions from donor countries, funding has been insufficient to prepare fully for the worst-case scenario. With the resources available, humanitarian partners have done their best to prepare as efficiently as possible. Working under some of the most difficult and insecure conditions in the world, humanitarian partners will be doing everything possible to help as many people as possible in the days and weeks ahead.
7.47am BST7.47am BST
07:4707:47
What we know so farWhat we know so far
7.43am BST7.43am BST
07:4307:43
Images taken this morning show peshmerga fighters setting up artillery east of Mosul.Images taken this morning show peshmerga fighters setting up artillery east of Mosul.
7.34am BST7.34am BST
07:3407:34
US-led coalition providing support for Iraqi and Kurdish fightersUS-led coalition providing support for Iraqi and Kurdish fighters
From the Associated Press:From the Associated Press:
Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander of Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, says the US-led coalition is providing wide support for the Iraqi and Kurdish forces in the battle for Mosul.But he stressed, “to be clear, the thousands of ground combat forces who will liberate Mosul are all Iraqis.”Townsend’s statement came shortly after Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the start of operations on Monday to liberate the northern city of Mosul from Islamic State militants.The US commander pledged the coalition will continue to use “precision to accurately attack the enemy and to minimize any impact on innocent civilians.”He says: “This may prove to be a long and tough battle, but the Iraqis have prepared for it and we will stand by them.”Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander of Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, says the US-led coalition is providing wide support for the Iraqi and Kurdish forces in the battle for Mosul.But he stressed, “to be clear, the thousands of ground combat forces who will liberate Mosul are all Iraqis.”Townsend’s statement came shortly after Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the start of operations on Monday to liberate the northern city of Mosul from Islamic State militants.The US commander pledged the coalition will continue to use “precision to accurately attack the enemy and to minimize any impact on innocent civilians.”He says: “This may prove to be a long and tough battle, but the Iraqis have prepared for it and we will stand by them.”
7.26am BST7.26am BST
07:2607:26
Photojournalist Souvid Datta recently visited the front line, spending time with Yazidi female fighters, refugees at the Debaga camp and communities trying to get on with life in the shadow of Isis.Photojournalist Souvid Datta recently visited the front line, spending time with Yazidi female fighters, refugees at the Debaga camp and communities trying to get on with life in the shadow of Isis.
7.06am BST7.06am BST
07:0607:06
Fighter jet engages Isis mortar positionsFighter jet engages Isis mortar positions
Martin ChulovMartin Chulov
This again from Martin outside Mosul:This again from Martin outside Mosul:
We have come to a stop a number of kilometres outside of Mosul in the middle of a parched field. We appear to be between two battles raging away in villages either side.We have come to a stop a number of kilometres outside of Mosul in the middle of a parched field. We appear to be between two battles raging away in villages either side.
There has been a jet in the sky which has been engaged in a kind of cat and mouse game with a very active Isis mortar team.There has been a jet in the sky which has been engaged in a kind of cat and mouse game with a very active Isis mortar team.
The jet has been struggling to pinpoint the location of the mortar because of the thick black smoke which has enveloped parts of the battlefield.The jet has been struggling to pinpoint the location of the mortar because of the thick black smoke which has enveloped parts of the battlefield.
It appeared a few minutes ago that the mortar had been taken out but then a shell landed near to our location just now so if one team had been taken out, there is another one there.It appeared a few minutes ago that the mortar had been taken out but then a shell landed near to our location just now so if one team had been taken out, there is another one there.
6.58am BST6.58am BST
06:5806:58
Tweets from reporters on the ground show air strikes hitting villages close to Mosul, US special forces surveying the enemy and a peshmerga fighter sitting on a hillside clutching his rifle.Tweets from reporters on the ground show air strikes hitting villages close to Mosul, US special forces surveying the enemy and a peshmerga fighter sitting on a hillside clutching his rifle.
Another big airstrike from coalition warplane hit a village south of #Mosul. pic.twitter.com/eJsXfKF8pjAnother big airstrike from coalition warplane hit a village south of #Mosul. pic.twitter.com/eJsXfKF8pj
US special forces looking out at ISIS over Zertek mountain in Khazir #Mosul pic.twitter.com/rgQfRncMTUUS special forces looking out at ISIS over Zertek mountain in Khazir #Mosul pic.twitter.com/rgQfRncMTU
Taking a break from the fighting #Peshmerga # Mosul pic.twitter.com/LYynvjvZfkTaking a break from the fighting #Peshmerga # Mosul pic.twitter.com/LYynvjvZfk
6.41am BST6.41am BST
06:4106:41
'The mortar fire is intensifying' – audio'The mortar fire is intensifying' – audio
Martin ChulovMartin Chulov
Martin Chulov, who has joined a peshmerga forces convoy en route to Mosul, explains that fighting is intensifying around them as the group closes in on four villages to the north-east of the city today, a move that will put them on the edge of the city limits.Martin Chulov, who has joined a peshmerga forces convoy en route to Mosul, explains that fighting is intensifying around them as the group closes in on four villages to the north-east of the city today, a move that will put them on the edge of the city limits.
6.25am BST6.25am BST
06:2506:25
Iraqi PM promises the nation will 'celebrate victory as one'Iraqi PM promises the nation will 'celebrate victory as one'
The hour has struck. The campaign to liberate Mosul has begun. Beloved people of Mosul, the Iraqi nation will celebrate victory as oneThe hour has struck. The campaign to liberate Mosul has begun. Beloved people of Mosul, the Iraqi nation will celebrate victory as one
6.20am BST6.20am BST
06:2006:20
6.13am BST6.13am BST
06:1306:13
The Wall Street Journal has an interesting line – which we cannot confirm – in its piece on the battle for Mosul, suggesting that Isis has decided to give up on the city.The Wall Street Journal has an interesting line – which we cannot confirm – in its piece on the battle for Mosul, suggesting that Isis has decided to give up on the city.
A mid-ranking Islamic State commander said in an interview over Facebook that the group has made a tactical decision to partially abandon Mosul, recalling their “human resources” to Syria where they hope to strengthen their foothold. “There will be no big great epic battle in Mosul,” the commander said. “The tactic now is hit-and-run.”A mid-ranking Islamic State commander said in an interview over Facebook that the group has made a tactical decision to partially abandon Mosul, recalling their “human resources” to Syria where they hope to strengthen their foothold. “There will be no big great epic battle in Mosul,” the commander said. “The tactic now is hit-and-run.”
6.07am BST6.07am BST
06:0706:07
Mona Mahmood and Emma Graham-Harrison wrote on Sunday about how Mosul’s one million residents were bracing for the assault.Mona Mahmood and Emma Graham-Harrison wrote on Sunday about how Mosul’s one million residents were bracing for the assault.
Those stuck in Mosul are digging makeshift bomb shelters, stockpiling food and, as the battle draws closer, mostly staying at home to avoid bombs or provoking militants.Those stuck in Mosul are digging makeshift bomb shelters, stockpiling food and, as the battle draws closer, mostly staying at home to avoid bombs or provoking militants.
Isis has banned mobile phones, but after midnight the city is alive with whispered calls, as the people of Mosul catch up with loved ones outside the city, or sometimes plan their own escape.Isis has banned mobile phones, but after midnight the city is alive with whispered calls, as the people of Mosul catch up with loved ones outside the city, or sometimes plan their own escape.
Read the full story here:Read the full story here:
5.54am BST5.54am BST
05:5405:54
Peshmerga forces eight miles from MosulPeshmerga forces eight miles from Mosul
Martin ChulovMartin Chulov
Mortar rounds are landing nearby as the convoys advance steadily to ward Mosul. We are now roughly eight miles from the city limits.Mortar rounds are landing nearby as the convoys advance steadily to ward Mosul. We are now roughly eight miles from the city limits.
There has been a large explosion about two miles ahead. Speculation is that it was a car bomb.There has been a large explosion about two miles ahead. Speculation is that it was a car bomb.
As we go by I have just seen, only five minutes ago, a number of new fires which have been lit by Isis. Large mushroom clouds of black smoke are rising up from them.As we go by I have just seen, only five minutes ago, a number of new fires which have been lit by Isis. Large mushroom clouds of black smoke are rising up from them.