Iraq's armed forces started on Thursday, March 24, an offensive against Islamic State militants in the region around Mosul, pushing them out from several villages, Reuters reported, citing a military statement on state TV.

“The first phase of the Fatah (Conquest) Operation has been launched at dawn to liberate Nineveh, by liberating a number of villages and raising the Iraqi flag,” the statement said.

Mosul, the largest city in northern Iraq, fell to Islamic State two years ago. It is the capital of the Nineveh province.