Iraq: Mosul Liberation Moving Faster Than Expected

According to Iraqi officials, the liberation of Mosul from ISIS’s control is moving faster than expected. Shortly after Peshmerga fighters opened up a new northern front on the key city Thursday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced that the operation was moving more quickly than expected. Some of the government forces’ armored vehicles were less than four miles from the terror group’s stronghold, which was captured in mid-2014. Kurdish Peshmerga forces on Thursday launched a “large-scale operation” focusing on territories north of the city with the goal of recapturing 27 villages.