Iraqi forces take control of TV building in Mosul

Iraqi forces made significant progress in their efforts to recapture the northern city of Mosul today by seizing control of the state TV building, the headquarters of Daesh’s propaganda operation.

Elite Counter-Terrorism Service troops seized control of the state TV building in Kukjali hours after launching an assault on the eastern district

The advance comes after government troops entered the outskirts of the city for the first time since the operation to clear the area of Daesh began on 17 October.

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The Iraqi forces are now 5 km deep into the administrative borders of Mosul from the East.

— Mosul Eye (@MosulEye) November 1, 2016

Some 3,000 to 5,000 Daesh fighters are thought to be in Mosul.  International organisation including the UN have warned that Daesh may use civilians as human shields during the battle.

Reuters reported UN human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani saying that Daesh had tried to transport about 25,000 civilians from Hammam Al-Alil, a town south of Mosul, on dozens of trucks and minibuses during the hours of darkness early yesterday.

Most of the trucks, which were heading towards the Tal Afar district, turned back under pressure from patrolling aircraft, but some buses did reach Abu Saif, 15 kilometres north of Hammam Al-Alil, she said.

“We have grave concerns for these and tens of thousands of other civilians who have reportedly been forcibly relocated by ISIL in the past two weeks,” she said, using another acronym for Daesh.

https://twitter.com/TheBaghdadPostE/status/793548855539298308