9:26pm





The Iraqi army has announced that the town of Hamdaniya has not been liberated yet, but the Iraqi forces are advancing on the town.



Earlier today, the head of the district council, Faisal Askander, had reported that the town had been liberated.





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6:33pm



Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has announced that they have created safe corridors for civilians to flee as Iraqi forces are approaching Mosul.







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6:20



The Iraqi forces liberated the town of Hamdaniya, 35km southeast of Mosul

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5:50pm





The Joint Crisis Coordination Centre (JCC) of the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) Ministry of the Interior has reported arrival of internally displaced being transferred to Debaga camp.







As predicted, Mosul Mil Ops, 250 individuals displaced from Hadla village, being transferred to Debaga. More to arrive pic.twitter.com/ltbg0Y0IiR — JCC_KRG (@JccKrg) October 18, 2016

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5:34pm





The Iraqi army has not made any gains against ISIS on the Gwer front, southeast of Mosul, Rudaw’s correspondent on the scene said.

Fierce clashes continue at the villages of Abbasi and Kani Harami. Multiple trenches and tunnels inside the two villages have slowed Iraqi army advances. Kani Harami was liberated by the army yesterday, but was recaptured by the militants today because the Iraqis did not bring in any reinforcements. There are many ISIS snipers taking up positions inside the village of Kani Harami. More than 80 percent of Abbasi village was also liberated yesterday, but the army withdrew as ISIS trenches halted the advance, forcing a retreat. A myriad of ISIS militants fiercely fight back in Abbasi, where many of the militants are said to be foreigners.

5:32



Azaz Khlaf Hajij, spokesman for the Nineveh plains tribe, told Rudaw English that his men only collaborate with formal forces, like the Iraqi army, and the Peshmerga forces.



“We trust the Peshmerga forces one hundred per cent to successfully liberate Mosul, but as for the Iraqi forces, we have our own fears” he said. Wherever the Iraqi forces liberated an area there were human rights violations, like in Fallujah, he noted.



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5:30pm





The Combined Joint Task Force of the international coalition's Operation Inherent Resolve released details of airstrikes carried out in the Mosul area on October 17, the first day of the Mosul offensive:



"Near Mosul, four strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units and two staging areas; destroyed 10 mortar systems, five artillery systems, four ISIL-held buildings, four fighting positions, four vehicles, two supply caches, two repeater tower generators, a VBIED facility, and a VBIED; and suppressed four tactical units and three rocket positions."







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4:55pm





The People’s Defense Units (YPG) reported that over 2,000 people fleeing Mosul are seeking to cross the border into Syria.





#BREAKING: Fleeing from #Mosul, over 2000 Iraqis are waiting on the borders to cross into Rojava, North #Syria. — Rojava Defense Units (@DefenseUnits) October 18, 2016





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4:30pm













In a meeting in Erbil with UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi (L), Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani called on international agencies to provide greater support for the many IDPs expected to flee Mosul. Barzani also called for security, humanitarian and social plans for post-ISIS Mosul that would allow the IDPs to return to their homes.







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4:24pm





Rudaw has learned from a source inside Mosul that people in the village of Lazani which lies between Hamam Aleel and Qayyara have taken up arms against ISIS and killed 11 militants. In other villages people are said to be waiting for the army approach in order to rise against ISIS too. Iraqi army intelligence are in touch with residents of villages in the area.





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3:57





ISIS snipers hamper Iraqi army advance to Mosul in some villages









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3:35pm

Iraqi air force planes bombing ISIS in Qaraqosh

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3:30Pm

Iraqi security forces retake al-Sirt village north of Qayyara and heading towards Talul Nasir

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3:25pm

Iraqi forces have retaken al-Shura sub-district south of Mosul

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3:20pm

Coalition warplanes bombing ISIS inside Mosul

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3:12pm

Iraqi joint operations command: Iraqi forces control parts of Hamdaniya district



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2:58pm



Iraqi forces seize Qaraqosh, the center of Hamdaniya district, 15 kilometers northeast of Mosul.





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2:30 pm

Iraqi forces have partially liberated al-Hud village are advancing towards Hamam Aleel.

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12:53



Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that the US is debating the possibility of a joint operation to capture the Syrian city of Raqqa from ISIS. Raqqa is the ISIS stronghold in Syria.

12:43





Iraq said that, to date, its warplanes have dropped 17 million leaflets on 16 areas under ISIS control especially in Nineveh, Hawija, Al-Qaem, A'nna and Rawa. The leaflets ask residents to stay away from crowds, ISIS buildings and weapons and ammunition warehouses. It also calls on them to prepare for an uprising against ISIS at a time that will be announced.

12:26

An Iraqi soldier reunited on the Qayyara war front with his two sisters and parents, whom he had not seen in two years, as they fled from Mosul.





------- 12:14pm



Turkey joined US-led coalition airstrikes on ISIS-occupied Mosul, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Tuesday. "Our Air Forces have also participated in air interventions in Mosul," Yildirim said, according to Turkish media. --- 12:03pm Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr staged a protest outside the Turkish Embassy in Baghdad to protest the presence of Turish forces in Bashiqa, near Mosul. Protesters include Sadr reporters from Baghdad and other parts of Iraq.





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11:32am Iraqi security forces have so far captured nine villages from ISIS, six more than they had captured on the first day of the Mosul offensive on Monday. Rudaw reporter at the scene Ferhad Dolamari said the next goal of the Iraqi forces is to capture the village of Hamam Ali, southeast of Mosul.



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11:15am

A Kurdish soldier serving in the Iraqi army was killed in fighting in Nessr village on the Makhmour Front southeast of Mosul, his battle unit said. On the first day of the operation on Monday, 10 Peshmerga soldiers were killed.



Iraqi security forces have so far captured nine villages from ISIS, six more than they had captured on the first day of the Mosul offensive on Monday. Rudaw reporter at the scene Ferhad Dolamari said the next goal of the Iraqi forces is to capture the village of Hamam Ali, southeast of Mosul.----------11:15amA Kurdish soldier serving in the Iraqi army was killed in fighting in Nessr village on the Makhmour Front southeast of Mosul, his battle unit said. On the first day of the operation on Monday, 10 Peshmerga soldiers were killed. ---------- Iraqi forces outside Abbas village





9:00am

---9:00am The offensive against ISIS continues on its second day. Iraqi troops are advancing from the south and have put into action their artillery against ISIS positions. They have much ground to cover and about 40 kilometers before they reach the southern edge of Mosul. The troops are moving from the Qayyara frontline southeast of Mosul and their goal is Hamam Aleel.









