In Iraq, Kurdish peshmerga forces have launched an offensive to retake areas east of Mosul from ISIL militants.

An international fleet of warplanes is supporting more than 5-thousand peshmerga soldiers fighting on the ground. The Kurdistan Region Security Council says peshmerga forces have already retaken the village of Mufti -- just six hours after launching the assault.

Last week, Iraqi forces launched an offensive on the city of Fallujah, the only other major Iraqi city still under ISIL control.