Iraq: First civilians fleeing Mosul arrive near Al-Qayyarah

The first group of civilians fleeing Mosul following the start of the Iraqi offensive to recapature the city began arriving on the outskirts of government-held Al-Qayyarah on Tuesday, Rudaw footage showed.
Among those escaping the oncoming offensive reportedly were the parents and two sisters of an Iraqi soldier who had not seen his family for two years.
On the first day of the offensive, Kurdish Peshmerga forces battled near Khazir to the east of Mosul and liberated several villages in the countryside around the city, according to a number of media reports. Iraqi forces meanwhile launched an offensive from the south of Mosul. Warplanes of the US-led coalition are providing air cover.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi officially announced the start of the assault during an address in Baghdad on Monday.