Mosul offensive going faster than expected

The offensive to seize back Mosul from ISIL is going faster than planned, Iraq's prime minister Haider al-Abadi said.

“We are getting into the final war to liberate our territories and the operation to liberate Mosul is going faster than the scheduled time,” Rudaw cited his statement as saying.

Brig. Ma'an Zeid Ibrahim, an Iraqi army commander, said that Iraqi forces have "complete control over Hamdaniya and are now advancing on Bazaiya," both of them towns southeast of Mosul. He added that four more villages around Hamdaniya were freed from ISIL in operations today.