Iraqi government and Kurdish forces on Tuesday announced progress in the first 24 hours of an offensive to take back Mosul, Reuters reports.
A total of 20 villages were taken from the militants east, south and southeast of Mosul, according to statements from the army Iraqi army and the Kurdish Peshmerga forces.
The Iraqi army is attacking Mosul on the southern and southeastern fronts, while the Peshmerga carried out their operation on the eastern front.