Kurdish Peshmerga forces launched a major offensive against Islamic State (ISIS) forces west of Mosul Wednesday morning to assist Iraqi troops in their effort to retake the city from the radical group.Iraqi and coalition fighter jets led the fight by bombing ISIS positions, while the Peshmerga pounded the militants with heavy artillery on the ground.In the early hours of the offensive the Peshmerga forces controlled the villages of Tel Reem, Tel Khidir and Jamrud, where they killed six of the insurgents and took another prisoner.Iraqi officials had earlier said that the Mosul operation might be launched in spring. But today’s heavy, multipronged attack on ISIS appears to indicate the plan is underway.Kurdish leaders have said that their forces would not get involved in the liberation of Mosul, as they want to avoid igniting an Arab-Kurdish war, but they pledged to assist the Iraqi army in the effort.