Iraqi forces launched a US-backed offensive yesterday to drive the so-called Islamic State from the northern city of Mosul
The offensive comes two years after IS seized the city of 1.5 million peopleA young girl is pictured at a refugee camp housing Iraqi families who fled the fightingIraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighters gather on the top of Mount ZardakA refugee camp houses Iraqi families who fled fighting in the Mosul areaThe US predicted that IS would suffer 'a lasting defeat' as Iraqi forces mounted their biggest operation in Iraq since the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam HusseinIraqi security forces were said to have been 'ahead of schedule' after the first day of the offensiveA US-led coalition has been helping train Iraqi forces for months for the fight for MosulAbout 30,000 federal forces are leading the offensive to retake MosulThe UN said it is 'running against the clock' as it prepares emergency sites for civiliansIraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighters fire a multiple rocket launcher east of MosulA woman is seen at a refugee camp housing Iraqi familiesSmoke billows as Iraqi forces deploy south of Mosul
