A total of 10 villages have been liberated on the first day of the long-awaited operation to liberate Iraq's second largest city, Mosul, from ISIS occupation which began early Monday morning.

The villages of Bedene Biçük, Bedeneyi Gewre, Esquf, Ercel, Basexer and Şex Emir in the skirts of the Mount Zerde were taken under control during the operation which was started from the Xazır region to the east of Mosul. During the following hours, the villages of Kani Herem in Giyara borough, the Hut village in Nemrud borough and the Kakai village of Keberli in Hemdaniye town were also liberated by the Iraqi army and peshmerga forces.

Clashes continue between ISIS groups and peshmerga forces advancing from the Xazır front. Six peshmerga fighters have lost their lives and dozens of others got injured during the ongoing fighting today.