The Battle For Mosul -- News Updates October 20, 2016

Daily Mail: Nearly there! Iraqi forces celebrate reaching the outskirts of Mosul as terror group's hold on the city crumbles and youths pin notes on jihadis' doors warning 'now you will live in fear of us'

* Mosul youths plastered leaflets on the homes of ISIS militants and threatened to rise up against them
* Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi says battle to recapture ISIS-held city is going quicker than planned
* Iraqi special forces have charged into battle with a pre-dawn advance on a nearby town held by ISIS today
* ISIS militants are reportedly retaliating with snipers and a series of suicide car attacks and roadside bombs

Iraqi soldiers raised their weapons in celebration today on the outskirts of Mosul as Islamic State's hold on the city continues to crumble.

It comes as Iraq's prime minister said the battle to seize back control of ISIS's last major stronghold in the country was going 'faster than planned'.

Meanwhile, youths in Mosul have plastered leaflets on the homes of jihadists and threatened to rise up against them.

Read more ....

The Battle For Mosul -- News Updates October 20, 2016

Mosul: Most intense day of fighting since offensive began -- CNN
Two-pronged offensive launched in battle for Mosul -- Al Jazeera
Iraq forces retake town east of Mosul: commander -- AFP
Iraqi and Kurdish forces close in on Mosul after making quick gains -- The Guardian
Iraq: Mosul operation going quicker than expected -- USA Today
Fighting intensifies as Iraqi special forces drive toward Mosul -- L.A. Times
Iraqi special forces join Mosul offensive against IS -- AP
Mosul: Iraqi special forces 'already inside' battleground city held by Islamic State. -- ABC News Online
Battle for Mosul: Forces Seek to Free ISIS-Held Christian Towns -- NBC
Iraqi Kurds battle IS shadows in Mosul push -- AFP
'Sniper of Mosul' shoots several ISIS jihadists in four regions of the city as uprising surges against the group -- Daily Mail
Apache Helicopters Take Action in Mosul Offensive -- Military.com
Pentagon: Daesh Will Resort to Chemical Weapons as Battle for Mosul Intensifies -- Sputnik
Abandoned villages on road to Mosul rigged with tunnels and bombs -- Reuters
Iraqi PM upbeat on Mosul offensive. -- BBC
Mosul offensive going faster than planned, Iraqi PM says -- Reuters
Operation to Liberate Mosul Advancing 'More Quickly' Than Expected, Iraqi Prime Minister Says -- ABC News
Inside Iraq's Mosul: 'We fear for our lives' -- Al Jazeera
Iraqis flee IS-held Mosul for war-torn Syria -- AFP
‘ISIS terrorists fleeing Mosul for Syria’s Raqqa’ – French President Hollande echoes Russian concern -- RT
Thousands of Iraqis fleeing Mosul arrive in Syria -- Reuters
This war is a drag! Cowardly ISIS fighters flee Mosul dressed in women's clothes after their leader orders wives and girlfriends to evacuate the city -- Daily Mail
Iraqi-Turkish split points to distrust among Mosul forces -- AP
U.S. general says will not support Shi'ite militia in Mosul campaign -- Reuters
Mosul: Islamic State is 'a brutal opponent', says US general. -- BBC
US General Urges Iraqis Not to 'Rush' Mosul Fight -- VOA
The bloodbath begins: Mustard gas. Truck bombs. Trenches full of oil. And a million civilians being used as human shields. How ISIS will unleash hell in defence of their last Iraqi stronghold -- Daily Mail
Battle for Mosul: Why Troops Reaching the ISIS Stronghold Is a Delicate Balance -- NBC
A look at US role against IS as Mosul offensive takes off -- AP
What does an adviser do? Mosul operation highlights elasticity of military support operations. -- Washington Post
What to expect in the fight for Mosul -- AFP