Iraqi special forces have advanced on the Islamic State-held city of Mosul from the east, taking heavy fire but entering the last village before the city limits and clearing a path that was followed by army units.
Armoured vehicles, including Abrams tanks, drew mortar and small arms fire as they moved on the village of Bazwaya in the dawn assault, while allied artillery and airstrikes hit IS positions.
Car bombers are trying to stop the advance, but the troops, just 3km from Mosul's eastern outskirts, aim to enter it later in the day, said Brigadier General Haider Fadhil. The army said another unit, its ninth division, had moved up toward Mosul and was now approximately 4.8km from its eastern outskirts.
At one point, a Humvee packed with explosives raced ahead in an attempt to ram the forces, but Iraqi troops opened fire on it, setting off the charge and blowing up the vehicle. Plumes of smoke rose in the air from IS positions hit by artillery and airstrikes.
State television described the operation as a "battle of honour" to liberate the city, captured by IS from a superior yet neglected Iraqi force in 2014.
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Some residents hung white flags on buildings and from windows in a sign they would not resist the government troops, said Major Salam al-Obeidi, a member of the special forces operation in Bazwaya. He said troops were requesting residents stay inside their homes as troops travelled on the streets, guarding against potential suicide bombers.
For two weeks, Iraqi forces and their Kurdish allies, Sunni tribesmen and Shi'Ite militias have been converging on Mosul from all directions to drive IS from Iraq's second largest city. The operation is expected to take weeks, if not months.
