Mosul offensive: Iraqi forces recapture airport in bid to retake city
Source: BBC
Mosul offensive: Iraqi forces recapture airport in bid to retake city
11 minutes ago
From the section Middle East
Iraqi security forces have recaptured Mosul airport, a key part of the government's offensive to drive the so-called Islamic State (IS) from the western half of the city. The operation took four hours. IS continued to fire mortars at the airport from further inside the city after losing the ground to the army. The jihadists have also entered a nearby military base amid further clashes, a military spokesman said.
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The airport's runway has been destroyed by IS, but BBC Middle East Correspondent Quentin Sommerville, who is embedded with Iraqi federal police units, says it still has value. It's a large piece of land, and controlling it will help secure southern routes to west Mosul, our correspondent says.
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The assault began with overnight air strikes by the US-led coalition before armoured columns advanced to the airport's perimeter.
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Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-39061811
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