Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga make anti-IS gains east of Mosul

Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga forces have taken several villages east of Mosul in coordination with Iraqi federal forces and air support from the US-led coalition, according to AFP.

Peshmerga commanders said the push was part of the ongoing operation to liberate Mosul from IS, and that villages taken today used to be inhabited by members of the Christian and Kakai minorities.

The operation included “up to 4,000 peshmerga in three fronts to clear nearby IS-occupied villages," the general command of the peshmerga said in a statement.