Iraqi forces advance on Mosul mosque where IS declared caliphate
Forces have encircled the militant group's stronghold in the Old City of Mosul
A black militant flag hangs from Mosul's Al-Habda minaret at the Grand Mosque, where Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared his caliphate back in 2014, in western Mosul, Iraq May 29, 2017. PHOTO: REUTERS
IRAQ:
US backed Iraqi forces said they began a push on Wednesday toward the mosque of Mosul, where Islamic State declared a self-styled caliphate three years ago.
The military said the forces had encircled the militant group's stronghold in the Old City of Mosul, where the mosque is located, on Tuesday.
Islamic State claims it killed two Chinese teachers kidnapped in Quetta
The battle for the Old City is becoming the deadliest in the eight-month old offensive to capture Mosul, Islamic State's de facto capital in Iraq.
US backed Iraqi forces said they began a push on Wednesday toward the mosque of Mosul, where Islamic State declared a self-styled caliphate three years ago.
The military said the forces had encircled the militant group's stronghold in the Old City of Mosul, where the mosque is located, on Tuesday.
Islamic State claims it killed two Chinese teachers kidnapped in Quetta
The battle for the Old City is becoming the deadliest in the eight-month old offensive to capture Mosul, Islamic State's de facto capital in Iraq.