
ISIS have executed hundreds of men and boys having used them as human shields to defend against advancing coalition forces in Mosul.

The terror group used a bulldozer to dump the corpses in a mass grave at the city's abandoned College of Agriculture.

All 284 victims, including children, were said to have been shot.

Some of the 550 families taken hostage by Islamic State were able to return home while others will continue to be used as human shields by retreating jihadis.

Families have been waving the white flag in vain as terrorists round up villagers in an attempt to hold off advancing coalition forces in the battle for Mosul in Iraq.

The country's plight is encapsulated in other incredible photos, which show children doing everyday activities such as riding bikes and playing football, but with huge flames and plumes of smoke rising up in the background after ISIS set oil fields on fire as part of their scorched earth tactics.

ISIS have executed hundreds of men and boys having used them as human shields to defend against advancing coalition forces in Mosul

Desperate families escaping from Khorsabad which is controlled by ISIS and under Peshmerga fire in the battle for Mosul

As some civilians safely returned to their villages around Mosul after they were liberated from ISIS control, around 550 families from others have been taken hostage by the terror group

Iraqi forces fire mortar shells towards positions of Islamic State jihadists on October 21, 2016, on the frontline on the outskirts of Qayyarah, about 30 kilometres south of Mosul, during an operation to retake the main hub city from ISIS

Peshmerga bazooka shooting in the battle for Mosul, Iraq, where victims, including children, were said to have been shot

The terror group used a bulldozer to dump the corpses in a mass grave at the city's abandoned College of Agriculture

A mother carries her young child as civilians return to their village after it was liberated from Islamic State militants, south of Mosul

A child carries a bag of her belongings as the villagers return to their homes after ISIS were driven out of their village

ISIS fanatics have opened up a new front in the battle for Iraq after suicide bombers attacked government targets in another city to divert attention from the fight to retake Mosul. An injured Kurdish man walks at a site of an attack by ISIS in Kirkuk

Militants armed with assault rifles and explosive vests attacked a compound in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk and killed 16 at a constructions site further north as the jihadists' grip on Mosul started to slip. A Kurdish security officer takes cover at a site of an attack by ISIS

In one attack, three bombers infiltrated a power plant being built by an Iranian company near Dibis, a town about 25 miles northwest of Kirkuk

A Kurdish intelligence officer said four suicide bombers attacked the main police headquarters in the city at around 3am while witnesses said dozens of armed jihadists were seen in the streets of Kirkuk

An Iraqi intelligence source told CNN of the executions anonymously.

As some Syrian civilians safely returned to their villages around Mosul after they were liberated from ISIS control, around 550 families from others have been taken hostage by the terror group.

The UN is fearful that these prisoners will effectively be used as 'human shields', with retreating jihadis having already slaughtered 284 villagers.

It comes a day after ISIS launched a series of major attacks on the city of Kirkuk, including an airstrike that killed 15 women.

Fanatics armed with assault rifles and explosive suicide vests opened up a new front in the fight for Iraq and launching an assault on government targets.

In one attack, three bombers infiltrated a power plant being built by an Iranian company near Dibis, a town about 25 miles northwest of Kirkuk. Hours earlier, a commando of suicide bombers armed with rifles attacked multiple locations in Kirkuk, an ethnically divided city 150 miles north of Baghdad, security sources said.

It comes as the UN said yesterday it was investigating claims militants had butchered up to 40 civilians in one village near Mosul and seized hundreds of families for use as human shields.

The UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, said: 'We are gravely worried by reports that (ISIS) is using civilians in and around Mosul as human shields as the Iraqi forces advance, keeping civilians close to their offices or places where fighters are located, which may result in civilian casualties.

'There is a grave danger that (ISIS) fighters will not only use such vulnerable people as human shields but may opt to kill them rather than see them liberated.'

A Kurdish intelligence officer said four suicide bombers yesterday morning attacked the main police headquarters in the city at around 3am while witnesses said dozens of armed jihadists were seen in the streets of Kirkuk.

These assaults were aimed at diverting the authorities' attention from the battle to retake the ISIS-held Mosul.

The country's plight is encapsulated in other incredible photos, which show children doing everyday activities such as riding bikes and playing football, but with huge flames and plumes of smoke rising up in the background after ISIS set oil fields on fire as part of their scorched earth tactics.

A boy pauses on his bike as he passes an oil field that was set on fire by retreating ISIS fighters ahead of the Mosul offensive

Children play football next to an oil field. Several hundred Iraqi families have been made to leave their homes for Mosul by Islamic State fighters as the UN warns they could be used as human shields

Another young child takes a break from herding sheep as huge plumes of smoke rise up behind him in the background

A close-up photo of one of the burning oil fields shows the damage it has done to the natural terrain. The smoke is also bad for the environment and the health of those inhaling it

An Iraqi fighter belonging to a Sunni militia headed by Sheik Nazhan, a prominent tribal leader with 700 men under his command, sits next to the rubble of Nazhan's home

Nazhan's home was destroyed during a battle with ISIS fighters ahead of the Mosul offensive

Iraqi forces, backed by a coalition including Britain and the U.S.A continue their offensive to retake Iraq's second largest city of Mosu

The mayor of Dibis said the attack in his town led to clashes with security forces, who managed to kill one of the bombers before he detonated his vest. The other two blew themselves up once they were surrounded, he said.

Several other targets in the south of the city were attacked by what the officer said were members of ISIS, sparking clashes with security forces that were still ongoing five hours later.

A Kirkuk official told AFP that a total curfew was slapped on the city.

Local Kurdish television channel Rudaw aired footage showing black smoke rising over the city as extended bursts of automatic gunfire rang out. The TV, however, quoted Kirkuk Gov. Najmadin Karim as saying that the militants have not seized any government buildings.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The attack comes as the Iraqi government and Kurdish forces are making a major push to drive Islamic State militants from Iraq's second-largest city of Mosul.

Kirkuk is an oil-rich city that is claimed by both Iraq's central government and the country's Kurdish region. It has long been a flashpoint for tension and has been the scene of multiple attacks by ISIS.

Iraqi troops wait for an attack to begin against the jihadists' last major stronghold in the country

The approaches to Mosul run through clusters of mostly abandoned villages where ISIS militants have planted roadside bombs and other booby traps

A member of the Iraqi government forces takes a position on top of a vehicle as smoke rises on the outskirts of the Qayyarah area, some 35 miles south of Mosul

Smoke fills the air as Iraq's forces continue the massive operation against the jihadists

The Battle for Mosul is going 'faster than planned' according to Iraq's prime minister, as it emerged ISIS is retaliating with suicide car attacks, roadside bombs and snipers. Peshmerga forces fire an anti-aircraft gun towards ISIS

It comes after Iraqi soldiers raised their weapons in celebration yesterday on the outskirts of Mosul as Islamic State's hold on the city continues to crumble.

It comes as Iraq's prime minister said the battle to seize back control of ISIS's last major stronghold in the country was going 'faster than planned'.

Meanwhile, youths in Mosul have plastered leaflets on the homes of jihadists and threatened to rise up against them.

Frustrated teens in the city vowed to avenge the deaths inflicted by the terrorists and covered the homes of ISIS leaders with posters, one of which said: 'Now you will live in fear of us'.

These leaflets, many of which were put up on Wednesday night, demonstrate the rising popular resistance against ISIS in Mosul.

Iraqi special forces charged into battle with a pre-dawn advance on a nearby town held by ISIS today, a key part of a multi-pronged assault on eastern approaches to the besieged city.

A member of Iraq's elite counter terrorism forces poses for pictures ahead of an advance towards the city of Mosul, Iraq

Iraqi special forces charged into battle with a pre-dawn advance on a nearby town held by ISIS today, a key part of a multi-pronged assault on eastern approaches to the besieged city

Displaced children are seen as they have arrived at Al Qayyarah town, secured by Iraqi Army, in Mosul, having fled from ISIS

ISIS captured Mosul during a lightning advance across northern Iraq in 2014, and leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi announced the formation of a self-styled caliphate from the pulpit of a Mosul mosque

The addition of the elite troops, also known as counterterrorism forces, marked a significant intensification of the fight for Iraq's second-largest city. As they advanced, attack helicopters fired on the militants and heavy gunfire echoed across the plains.

It comes as prime minister Haider al-Abadi insisted government and Kurdish forces were progressing quicker than expected in their fight to reclaim the ISIS stronghold.

Major General Maan al-Saadi said elite Counterterrorism Forces advanced on the town of Bartella with the aid of US-led coalition airstrikes and heavy artillery on the fourth day of a massive operation to retake Iraq's second-largest city.

'God willing, we will take this town today,' he said.

The militants fought back, unleashing at least four suicide car bombs against the advancing forces, one of which blew up after it was struck by tank fire. It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties from the fighting.

There were reports that fanatics had even rigged a huge sulphur plant to explode and surrounded it with human shields. But separate reports then emerged suggesting that the al-Mishtaq facility had been safely recaptured days ago.

The special forces are expected to lead the way into Mosul, where they will face fierce resistance in an urban landscape where ISIS militants are preparing for a climactic battle. The offensive is the largest operation launched by Iraqi forces since the 2003 US-led invasion, and is expected to take weeks, if not months.

The addition of the elite troops, also known as counterterrorism forces, marked a significant intensification of the fight for Iraq's second-largest city

ISIS militants have fought back, unleashing at least four suicide car bombs against the advancing forces, one of which blew up after it was struck by tank fire. It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties from the fighting

Peshmerga forces prepare their anti-tank guided missiles in front of ISIS militants' positions at the town of Naweran near Mosul

Iraqi forces advance through the desert on the banks of the Tigris river, north east of the main staging base of Qayyarah

The Kurdish forces known as peshmerga, who are also taking part in the offensive, announced a 'large-scale operation' to the north and northeast of Mosul on Thursday.

'The operation will be in three fronts,' the peshmerga said in a statement, and follows recent gains by the peshmerga to the east of Mosul and Iraqi security forces to the south.

Peshmerga forces stationed on mountains northeast of Mosul descended from their positions and charged toward the front line.

They used bulldozers and other heavy equipment to fill trenches and moved armored vehicles into the breach after about an hour of mortar and gunfire at IS positions below in the village of Barima.

Military operations also appeared to be underway in the town of Bashiqa, northeast of Mosul. Thick smoke could be seen billowing from the town early Thursday.

A day earlier, Bashiqa was pounded by airstrikes and mortar fire from Kurdish peshmerga positions high above.

Conflict: Smoke rises at Islamic state militants positions outside Naweran near Mosul, Iraq this morning

A Kurdish Peshmerga fighter takes position in front of an ISIS stronghold on the outside of the town of Naweran near Mosul

Kurdish Peshmerga forces gather prior to opening up a front against ISIS in Nawaran, some 13 miles northeast of Mosul

The approaches to Mosul run through clusters of mostly abandoned villages where ISIS militants have planted roadside bombs and other booby traps

The approaches to Mosul run through clusters of mostly abandoned villages where ISIS militants have planted roadside bombs and other booby traps. Bartella, a traditionally Christian town which fell to ISIS two years ago, is believed to be empty of civilians.

'Our intelligence tells us the district is full of IEDs,' al-Saadi said, referring to the homemade explosives IS has planted in huge numbers during past campaigns.

By mid-morning the special forces were 17 miles from the Mosul city centre.

'SNIPER OF MOSUL' SHOOTS SEVERAL ISIS JIHADISTS IN ATTACKS INSIDE MOSUL A marksman has shot several ISIS jihadists in four regions of Mosul as uprisings against the group continue. The gunman, dubbed the 'Sniper of Mosul', is said to be hunting down ISIS fanatics while they are on patrol in the city's streets. A number of extremists have been injured by the shooter amid reports the attacks are improving morale among Mosul resistance groups. A marksman has shot several ISIS jihadists in four regions of Mosul as uprisings against the group continue (file picture) According to Iraqi News , there may even be more than one sniper at work. It quotes local media as writing: 'The emergence of the 'Sniper of Mosul', as the residents call him, increased the pace of the popular resistance against the ISIS. 'The presence of the sniper in four neighbourhoods emphasizes that there are many snipers and not only one.' Advertisement

Special forces Deputy Officer Ziyad Katham Humaydi said one of the vehicle bombs on Thursday was an armoured truck filled with explosives. He said the group often uses suicide truck bombers as a first line of defense to hold territory.

'We've even seen them rig a full oil tanker with explosives,' he said.

Amer al-Jabbar, a 30-year-old soldier with the Iraqi special forces, said he was happy to be taking part in the attack and hoped to avenge two brothers killed while fighting for the Iraqi security forces.

'I had one brother who became a martyr in 2007 and another who became a martyr in 2014,' he said. 'I want to avenge them and I'm ready to die.'

Fleeing for their lvies: Displaced civilians are seen as they have arrived at Al Qayyarah town, secured by Iraqi Army, in Mosul

Prepared: Kurdish Peshmerga forces survey the positions of the ISIS fighters as they get ready for battle in Nawaran

Liberation: Mosul is the largest city controlled by the extremist group and its last major urban bastion in Iraq

ISIS captured Mosul during a lightning advance across northern Iraq in 2014, and leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi announced the formation of a self-styled caliphate from the pulpit of a Mosul mosque. Mosul is the largest city controlled by the extremist group and its last major urban bastion in Iraq.

Iraq's US-trained special forces are seen as far more capable than the mainstream security forces that crumbled as ISIS advanced in 2014.

They have played a central role in liberating several cities and towns over the past year, including Ramadi and Fallujah, in the western Anbar province.

More than 25,000 forces, including the Iraqi army, the peshmerga, Sunni tribal fighters and Shiite militias are taking part in the Mosul offensive, which began on Monday after months of preparation. They will be advancing on the city from several directions.

More than 25,000 forces, including the Iraqi army, the peshmerga, Sunni tribal fighters and Shiite militias are taking part in the Mosul offensive

The fight began on Monday after months of preparation. They will be advancing on the city from several directions

The special forces advanced in some 150 Humvees decked with Iraqi flags and Shiite religious banners. Ali Saad, a 26-year-old soldier, said the Kurdish forces had asked them to take down the religious banners, but they refused.

'They asked if we were militias. We said we're not militias, we are Iraqi forces, and these are our beliefs,' he told The Associated Press.

Mosul is a Sunni majority town, and many fear the involvement of the Shiite militias in the operation could stoke sectarian tensions. The Shiite militias have said they will not enter the city itself, but will focus on retaking the town of Tel Afar to the west, which had a Shiite majority before it was captured by ISIS.

The US military is carrying out airstrikes and artillery shelling in support of the operation. More than 100 US forces are embedded with the Iraqis, and hundreds more are playing a supporting role in staging bases.