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Mosul Iraq offensive: Kurdish forces besiege key town of Bashiqa Mosul offensive: Iraqi Kurdish forces besiege key town of Bashiqa
(about 7 hours later)
Kurdish forces taking part in the offensive to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul from Islamic State (IS) militants are besieging a key town to the north. Kurdish forces taking part in the offensive to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul from Islamic State militants are besieging a key town to the north-east.
Peshmerga fighters have surrounded Bashiqa, which lies on a crucial supply route only 12km (8 miles) from Mosul, on three sides, a commander said. Peshmerga fighters have surrounded Bashiqa, which lies on a crucial supply route 12km (8 miles) from Mosul, and are preparing to launch a full assault.
But the threat of suicide bomb attacks means they are advancing with caution.But the threat of suicide bomb attacks means they are advancing with caution.
The Iraqi military has meanwhile denied that Turkish forces are involved in the battle for Bashiqa. A Counter-Terrorism Service commander also said its troops had gained ground around Bartella, 10km to the south.
Turkey's government said on Sunday that troops stationed at a nearby base had provided artillery support following a Peshmerga request. Abdul Wahhab al-Saadi told the BBC they had stormed the villages of Khazna, Khazna Tabba and Tob Zawa.
This is the second time that the Peshmerga have tried to seize control of Bashiqa. The operation to retake Bashiqa is the second launched by the Peshmerga.
Last week, they had to abandon the attack after fierce fighting with heavily armed IS militants inside the town. Last week, they had to pull back after fierce clashes with IS militants dug in there.
But now they seem to be making progress, says the BBC's Richard Galpin in the Iraqi Kurdish capital, Irbil. The second assault began on Sunday, and by Monday morning the Peshmerga had encircled the town and begun digging trenches in preparation to storm it, a commander told Kurdish news agency Rudaw.
A senior Peshmerga commander, Gen Said Hazhar, said Bashiqa had been "encircled" and his troops were digging trenches around the town in preparation for an assault, the Kurdish news agency Rudaw reports. The BBC's Richard Galpin in Irbil says that if they do succeed in retaking Bashiqa, it would give the Peshmerga a clear run to north-eastern Mosul, with no other towns or villages lying in between.
They were also reported to have cut off the main road between Bashiqa and Mosul, a major route into the city that fell to IS in June 2014. Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi meanwhile insisted that claims that Turkish troops had taken part in the battle for Bashiqa were "baseless and untrue".
In a significant development on Sunday, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim announced that Turkish troops - who have been training Peshmerga and Sunni Arab tribal fighters near Bashiqa - were involved in the battle, despite strong objections from the Iraqi government. Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Sunday that soldiers stationed at a nearby base, where they have been training Peshmerga and Sunni Arab tribal fighters, had provided "support with artillery, tanks and howitzers".
Journalists on the front line also reported seeing artillery fire coming from the Turkish base and targeting IS positions on several occasions. Journalists on the front line have reported seeing artillery fire coming from the Turkish base and hitting IS positions on several occasions.
But the Iraqi military's joint operations command denied "Turkish participation of any kind in operations for the liberation of Nineveh" province.
US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter had suggested before his visit to Iraq over the weekend that Turkey should be given a role.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi firmly rejected the idea and said he would tell Turkey: "This is something the Iraqis will handle."
Informants 'executed by IS'Informants 'executed by IS'
About 30,000 Iraqi security forces, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, Sunni Arab tribesmen and Shia militiamen, assisted by US-led coalition warplanes and military advisers, launched the long-awaited offensive to retake Mosul a week ago.About 30,000 Iraqi security forces, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, Sunni Arab tribesmen and Shia militiamen, assisted by US-led coalition warplanes and military advisers, launched the long-awaited offensive to retake Mosul a week ago.
On Monday, US special presidential envoy to the coalition Brett McGurk declared that they had met all their objectives thus far, and that the coalition had carried out more air strikes than during any other seven-day period of the war against IS.On Monday, US special presidential envoy to the coalition Brett McGurk declared that they had met all their objectives thus far, and that the coalition had carried out more air strikes than during any other seven-day period of the war against IS.
Meanwhile, a senior intelligence officer told the BBC that IS had begun executing suspected informants as Iraqi forces pushed closer to Mosul. A senior intelligence officer told the BBC that IS had begun executing suspected informants as Iraqi forces pushed closer to Mosul.
The officer also said IS had positioned some civilians as human shields, describing this as a sign of weakness and desperation.The officer also said IS had positioned some civilians as human shields, describing this as a sign of weakness and desperation.
As the pressure increases on Mosul, IS has been carrying out more attacks in other parts of Iraq.As the pressure increases on Mosul, IS has been carrying out more attacks in other parts of Iraq.
After a major assault on the northern city of Kirkuk last week in which up to 100 people were killed, militants attacked the western town of Rutba on Sunday and overran several districts.After a major assault on the northern city of Kirkuk last week in which up to 100 people were killed, militants attacked the western town of Rutba on Sunday and overran several districts.
On Monday, a police source reported continuing clashes between troops and IS militants inside Rutba despite the arrival of military reinforcements.On Monday, a police source reported continuing clashes between troops and IS militants inside Rutba despite the arrival of military reinforcements.
And a Peshmerga commander said five IS militants had been killed and seven car bombs destroyed in a failed attack near the north-western town of Sinjar. And a local official in Sinjar told Reuters news agency that at least 15 militants had been killed in two hours of fighting with Peshmerga fighters.
Our correspondent says these diversionary tactics seem to be working. According to a Kurdish intelligence source, he adds, some 2,000 Peshmerga troops had to be pulled away from the Mosul offensive to deal with the attack on Kirkuk.Our correspondent says these diversionary tactics seem to be working. According to a Kurdish intelligence source, he adds, some 2,000 Peshmerga troops had to be pulled away from the Mosul offensive to deal with the attack on Kirkuk.
The UN refugee agency also announced on Monday that it would soon have enough shelters for 150,000 people who might flee Mosul and its surrounding area during the offensive. Some 7,500 people had already left, it said.