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SELFIE DESTRUCTION

Jihadis panic and set oil wells ablaze as troops advance on Mosul, ISIS jihadis’ last holdout in Iraq

FRENZIED IS militants set oil wells ablaze around the Iraq city to obscure themselves from drones and warplanes' view

A MAN takes a selfie surrounded by flames and smoke during the fight to drive IS out of Mosul.

Crazed jihadis torched oil wells around the Iraq city to hide from warplanes and drones.

The man was stood amid the burning fields and fierce fighting in Qayyarah, around 35 miles south of the city.

Fire pic... man snaps selfie at burning Qayyarah near Mosul
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Fire pic... man snaps selfie at burning Qayyarah near MosulCredit: Getty Images

Iraqi special forces and Kurdish Peshmerga have launched a major assault to reclaim Mosul, which has been occupied by the Islamic State since 2014.

They are supported by airstrikes from a US-led coalition including RAF jets and Reaper drones.

Kurdish forces launch rockets in dawn raids on IS occupied villages
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Kurdish forces launch rockets in dawn raids on IS occupied villagesCredit: Getty Images
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On day four of the battle to retake Mosul, the 30,000 Kurdish and Iraqi soldiers advanced to within six miles of the city.

They began raids of IS-occupied villages around 13 miles from the city at dawn. Peshmerga troops, believed to have been supported by British special forces, seized the frontline village of Narawan in under an hour.

Terrorists used snipers, roadside bombs and suicide car bombs in an unsuccessful attempt to push back the attack.

Strength in numbers... Kurdish Peshmerga reportedly teamed up with Brit forces to take some jihadi territory
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Strength in numbers... Kurdish Peshmerga reportedly teamed up with Brit forces to take some jihadi territoryCredit: Getty Images
Desperate IS used roadside bombs to try and stop troops descending on the city
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Desperate IS used roadside bombs to try and stop troops descending on the cityCredit: Getty Images
The fiery raids began at dawn today, after the assault began on Monday
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The fiery raids began at dawn today, after the assault began on MondayCredit: EPA

Inside Mosul, around 5,000 IS diehards are believed to be using residents as human shields and preparing for hand-to-hand combat.

Sources  that IS foreign fighters had disappeared from the city, while IS leadership was "melting away".

They said the city was "a lost cause" for ISIS. One said: "It's the end of days for them."

Iraqi forces celebrate territory gains... as jihadis panic and cut beards to blend in when city falls
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Iraqi forces celebrate territory gains... as jihadis panic and cut beards to blend in when city fallsCredit: AP:Associated Press
Victory... Iraqi forces hold IS flag upside down as they take new territory
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Victory... Iraqi forces hold IS flag upside down as they take new territoryCredit: Getty Images
Iraqi government forces were part of the coalition moving towards Iraq's second city
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Iraqi government forces were part of the coalition moving towards Iraq's second cityCredit: Getty Images

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French President Francois Hollande warned ISIS troops must not be allowed to flee to Raqqa, the group's main stronghold in Syria, where they would be able to regroup.

The group has also reportedly changed tactics, trimming their beards and changing their style of dress to look more like the civilian population - presumably to ensure their safety if the city is overrun.

The whereabouts of IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is not known.

Support... The assault will continue tomorrow, backed up by US and RAF pilots and drones
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Support... The assault will continue tomorrow, backed up by US and RAF pilots and dronesCredit: Getty Images
Jubilant... Iraqi PM says mission is moving fast and forces are working well together
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Jubilant... Iraqi PM says mission is moving fast and forces are working well togetherCredit: Getty Images

Thousands of residents have fled Mosul for refugee camps in Syria to escape the conflict. The UN expects 200,000 to seek refuge outside the city in the coming weeks.

Those still inside the city report they are running out of basic supplies, but jihadis will not let them leave.

Meanwhile Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi said the mission was progressing faster than planned.

He hailed cooperation between Kurdish and Iraqi troops, who were "fighting harmoniously together" to out IS fanatics from the city.

 

 

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