Analyst says Russia, US keep door open as search for way out of Syrian crisis

ANKARA, October 16. /TASS/. The US-led coalition and Iraqi security forces have started delivering airstrikes at positions of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization (banned in Russia) in Iraq’s Mosul, NTV reported on Sunday.

Airstrikes are mostly delivered at positions in the city’s east, NTV said adding that US artillery shelled IS positions and shelters near Mosul on Saturday. The TV channel also cited sources in the Turkish government as saying that the main operation in Mosul has not started yet.

Earlier today the Anadolu Agency reported that the US military started shelling IS positions of in Iraq’s Mosul as part of an operation to retake the city. Citing Peshmerga Commander Omer Huseyin, the agency said American howitzers deployed some 20 kilometers from Mosul were hitting IS targets while US-led coalition warplanes also participated in the operation.

IS militants consider Mosul with the population of over 500,000 people as their capital in Iraq. The city was surrendered by government forces when IS groups attacked on 10 June 2014.