Iraqi Kurdish forces advance on ISIS-held town east of Mosul
NEAR BASHIQA - Iraqi Kurdish fighters exchanged heavy fire with ISIS militants early on Monday as they advanced from two directions on a town held by the Islamic State group east of the city of Mosul.
The early morning offensive to reclaim the town of Bashiqa is part of the broader push to drive ISIS out of Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city and the militants' last major urban stronghold in the country.
Bashiqa, which is believed to be largely deserted except for dozens of ISIS fighters, is about 13 kilometers (8 miles) northeast of the edge of Mosul and about 20 kilometers from the city center.
