Iraqi and Kurdish forces continued their march toward Mosul today, surrounding the city of Bashiqa – 8 miles from Mosul. Although ISIL is outnumbered (reports put them at anywhere from 3K to 5K soldiers while the Iraqi coalition is 30k strong) the advance is proceeding with caution because of booby traps and suicide bombs that ISIL is using. Despite this, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi says it is progressing faster than planned. The battle is expected to take months and will likely produce a severe humanitarian crisis.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-37702442