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Drone footage from west of Mosul, released on Monday, captured a build up of Iraqi-led coalition forces near the strategic town of Tal Afar which was reportedly recaptured from the so-called Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) on Sunday, as part of the ongoing offensive against against the city.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the start of the military operation to liberate the country's second largest city on October 17. IS captured Mosul in 2014 and the offensive is now fronted by the Iraqi army, Kurdish and Shia militias, and the US-led anti-IS coalition.