PHOTO: A boy on a bike passes an oilfield set on fire by Islamic State fighters in Qayyarah, near Mosul (Getty)


Iraqi forces have closed within 3 to 4 km (2 to 2.5 miles) of Mosul, as they seek to recapture Iraq’s second city from the Islamic State.

A commander of the elite counter-terrorism unit, General Abdelghani al-Assadi, said the advance force would pause near Mosul’s eastern outskirts as other troops gathered: “We must now coordinate with forces on other fronts to launch a coordinated [attack].”

Kurdish peshmerga are still about 12 km (7.5 miles) to the north of Mosul, surrounding ISIS in the town of Bashiqa. Iraqi forces are still about 30 km (19 miles) from the city to the south.

Meanwhile, members of the coalition supporting the Iraqi-Kurdish offensive gathered in Paris on Tuesday to discuss the political and military situation.

French President Francois Hollande called for the group to prepare for the aftermath of the battle, securing Mosul’s future by ensure that authorities represent all ethnic and religious groups so that the “long-awaited peace will come”.

US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said the coalition would also back local forces to challenge the Islamic State in Raqqa, its central position in northern Syria since autumn 2013.

“We resolve to follow through with that same sense of urgency and focus in enveloping and collapsing ISIL’s control over Raqqa as well,” Carter said. “In fact, we’ve already begun laying the groundwork with our partners to commence the isolation of Raqqa.”

UN: ISIS May Be Carrying Out Mass Killings

The UN warned on Tuesday that the Islamic State may be carrying out mass killings in and near Mosul.

Spokesman Rupert Colville said the allegations of executions between last Wednesday and Sunday are “preliminary” but have come from a range of civilian and government sources.

Claims include the execution of 15 civilians in Safina, about 45 km (28 miles) from Mosul, before throwing their bodies in a river, and the mass killing of about 50 former members of the Iraqi police.