Peshmerga forces making advances on Bashiqa front have taken control over the main road between Bashiqa and Mosul. With today's advance, peshmerga forces reportedly have a distance of 10 kms left to Mosul from the northeastern side.

The sub-district of Bashiqa, 12 km northeast of Mosul, is inhabited by mainly Êzidîs.

Speaking to Roj News, PUK Maxmur Committee Official Reşad Gelali stated that strikes by international coalition aircraft continue in Giyare region.

Gelali said the Iraqi troops have advanced 10 kms in northern Giyare and continue making further advances in the region.

As part of the operations, Iraqi military forces are planning to advance towards the village of Shore after they took control of the Hamdaniya district earlier today.

In the meantime, international coalition aircraft continue targeting the ISIS positions. Reports by the Iraqi joint operations force suggest that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's assistant Abu Osame has been killed alongside many other ISIS members as a result of bombardments in the Tilsiqufi district to the south of Mosul.

On the other hand, US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter has arrived in Hewler today after talks in Ankara and Baghdad. Carter was welcomed by Nechirvan Barzani at Hewler Airport and he is expected to discuss the Mosul Operation with officials from the Kurdistan Region.