Iraq forces battling Isis prepare to break into Mosul

Iraqi forces said they had reached the eastern outskirts of Mosul today and were preparing to make the first break into the city. whoich has been held by Isis (Islamic State) militants for more than two years. After an early morning push, forces from Iraq's elite counterterrorism units had taken positions on the outskirts of the suburb of Gogjali by sundown local time. They had progressed father than expected. The presence of more than a million civilians also complicates the battle, making air support more difficult. Lieutenant-General Abdelamir Yarallah, a senior army commander, said that the city's eastern bank was under direct fire.