Prime Minister Haider al Abadi announced a major military operation to retake the western part of Mosul from Daesh.

“We announce the start of a new phase in the operation, we are coming to Nineveh to liberate the western side of Mosul,” Abadi said in a brief televised address, referring to the province of which Mosul is the capital.

On Saturday, Iraqi aircraft dropped millions of leaflets in western Mosul, calling on residents to get ready to welcome the Iraqi troops as they continue the siege on the militants.

“Your armed forces... are advancing in the direction of the right side, relying on God. Get ready to welcome the sons of your armed forces and to cooperate with them, as your brothers on the left side have done, in order to reduce losses and speed up the conclusion” of the battle, one of the leaflets read.

After the fall of Iraq's second largest city in June 2014, government forces, aided by US air power and Kurdish militia on the ground, have tried relentlessly to take the city back.

The latest operation to free the city from the jihadists began on October 17. After months of fighting, the coalition managed to secure the east bank of the city last month. The densely-populated west bank of Mosul is now the operation's target.

Source: MENA