Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has announced that the international coalition will start its operation to retake the country's second largest city of Mosul from Islamic State.
"The hour of victory has come, the operation to liberate Mosul has started. Today I declare the start of the heroic operations to liberate you from the Islamic State," Haider al-Abadi said.
Islamic State militants swept through cities and towns in southern parts of Iraq in 2014. However, Iraqi forces have since regained significant ground. Mosul is the last city the jihadists hold major control of... and the push to retake Mosul will be the biggest military operation in Iraq since American troops left in 2011. If successful, it will arguably be one of the biggest achievements by coalition forces