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Iraqi PM upbeat on Mosul offensive Iraqi PM upbeat on Mosul offensive
(35 minutes later)
Offensive against so-called Islamic State in Mosul going much faster than planned, Iraqi PM says The operation to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul from so-called Islamic State militants is progressing faster than planned, the Iraqi leader says.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said troops were pushing towards the city "more quickly" than envisaged.
If you want to receive Breaking News alerts via email, or on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App then details on how to do so are available on this help page. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on Twitter to get the latest alerts. His comments came as Kurdish fighters launched a large-scale operation east and north of Mosul.
The Iraqi army has been moving from the south, and special forces have now joined the offensive.
Mosul has been in the hands of IS since 2014 and is the militants' last major Iraqi stronghold.
The offensive to retake it began on Monday. Up to 1.5 million civilians are thought to still be inside the city.