peshmerga are numbering 30,000. might we imagine that there has been an agreement tween the shiite iraqi government and the kurds that shut the turks out? marco: not at all. the kurds have been fairly supportive of the turkish role. they are saying publicly that baghdad and ankara need to resolve these differences. turkey has played a role in training many peshmerga forces and local sunni militiamen in northern iraq. turkey has played a role not to the opposition of the kurdish regional government. the kurdish regional government diplomatically wants to play more of a neutral diplomatic role. laura: what can turkey do now? it seems that the statement from baghdad is pretty definitive. marco: turkish troops are going to stay. one thing is rhetoric and the other is actions. president erdogan has made it quite clear. he says anything that will impact us, not only will we have a seat at the table, we will have a presence. he made that clear in august 2016. air force and turkish tanks supporting sunni militiamen in north

what more can you tell us about the peshmerga push into mosul? >> reporter: there have been movement on a number of fronts around mosul. to the southeast, the predominantly christian town, there's an offensive under way there. to the north of mosul, a town that's being attacked by peshmerga fighters as well. that's only ten kilometers outside of mosul. that would be the closest that any forces have gotten to that city. we're not far from a town that has been subject of an assault that began in the early hours of this morning, around 6:30 a.m. local peshmerga forces moving in on multiple fronts to try to take that town. we were watching it being pounded by artillery and rocket fire and air strikes as well. a couple of huge bombs landing on that town. sort of softening up. this is all part of trying to encircle mosul. that's been the plan all along. eventually into the city itself. which still could be some time away, george. >> when we talk about strangling that city and entering mosul but also entering the smaller towns surrounding it, there is s

the peshmerga convoy we're will, no u.s. troops involved on the ground. we certainly saw western faces in the mix here advancing a complex situation where the united states, coalition, providing a lot of technological expertise trying to make this move more smoothly, but there are mines, and you saw there, the sheer tenacity of isis' fighters that might well slow them down, wolf. >> no reason to believe these isis fighters will give up by any means. you say 1.2 million people. this is the second largest city in iraq. 1.2 million people and i assume everyone is bracing for enormous numbers of civilian casualties as a result of this military offensive right now. getting in pictures right now of a car bombing in mosul. i suspect that probably is only just the beginning of what is going to be taking place. it looks very, very devastating. how are they dealing with the potential huge number of civilian casualties? >> reporter:-it-is potentially utterly horrifying. 1.2 million people caught in what could, if worst fears come to realization, be a more sectarian

kurdish peshmerga fighter say they're captured territory. also coming up, the long wait is over for some of them at least. emotional scenes in nigeria as schoolgirls held captive for militants -- by militants from more than two years are reunited with their families. and an explosion at one of the world's biggest chemical plants here in germany. two people lose their lives. several others are still missing. ♪ brent: it is good to have you with us. the sun has set one day one of the battle for mosul and the iraqis's say they are pleased with their progress. one military commanders said all is going to plan and he praised the role of the international coalition. iraqi army units, kurdish fighters and militia have -- reporter: iraq's kurdish fighters heaven waiting for this. -- have been waiting for this. >> soon we will be together in mosul and we will raise the flag of triumph in their no place for the islamic state group among us in among the true iraqi families. we came to rescue you from terrorism. all attempts to delay to free mosul faile

also coming up, kurdish peshmerga fighters shoot back at i.s.ants attacking the city of kirkuk. at least 14 die in a coordinated assault on targets in and around the city. and, south africa calls it quits. it wants to leave the international criminal court that prosecutes war criminals. the icc ordered south africa to arrest the wanted president of sudan last year and pretoria has resented it ever since. anchor: thanks very much for your company. dead in the water. the ceta trade deal between the e.u. and canada seems to have sunk without a trace, as the canadian international trade minister walks out of talks in brussels. all this after frantic efforts to persuade the belgian region of wallonia to reverse its opposition to the deal. , but it refused so the planned ratification by, e.u. member states next week now looks unlikely. the e.u.'s trade commissioner is perhaps whistling in the dark, saying she still hopes to find a solution. reporter: it was day two of the summit in brussels, where big european decisions are usually made among leaders

for the peshmerga backed with staggering air power.he now common sight of american special forces. the pentagon says they're advising not assaulting, a position in the front of the attack. the work was slow. destructive. begging the question, what becomes of the wreckage under new masters. suddenly, in the sky, a hail of bullets. they've spotted a drone. trace arounds dance around it and finally take off its nose. isis used them to spot targets for artillery, even drop small bombs. this one tumbles down. its wreckage picked over, it's still unclear whose it is. yet progress down the road is agonizingly slow. this is a source of so much fighting this morning, but still full of isis and we heard that peshmerga have listened to those militants on their radios this morning discussing how they should wait and only launch a counterattack once the peshmerga are inside. two peshmerga are killed by a mine and others injured in intense clashes, when they flank the town heading left across barren farmland. isis still here haunting the dust pushed

shells still landing near the peshmerga. a partiality taken away.n on the main objective, the road itself. isis sent two car bombs at them and attacked from both sides. >> there are military, too, the iraqi military, will have to push towards mosul. a lot of coalition, a lot of air power. [ gunfire ] [ gunfire ] >> stay in the car, now! >> reporter: isis still everywhere, even in the hills. they give chase to one man an isis fighter. he shoots a peshmerga. humvees rescue him and hunt on. an isis fighter pops up from a tunnel. shoots. he blows him up. a tenacity and desire to die that will surely slow and bloody the fight ahead. >> nick joining us now live from near mosul right now. what do they anticipate, nick, weeks, months? this is going to be brutal. remember, there are more than 1 million people there now. >> reporter: this sewn the beginning and the advance through what should be the eddest area. kicked out by isis probably years ago. really just the fighters digging down, willing to blow themselves up, laying mines in the way of the iraqi and

kurdish peshmerga surrounding it.to penetrate a day or so ago and were driven back by car bombs. they still didn't get to go in yesterday, but today, we are seeing more air efforts brought in. rockets fired from apache helicopters. they are trying to identify the problem positions and take them out to the peshmerga can clear out the isis fighters. we think there are no civilians in the city. that is some good news. it is a strategic city because it is a supply route into mosul. if they cut it off and secure it, that's another step on the way to encircling the city. >> michael holmes near mosul. stay safe. >>> authorities are urged to probe a hate crime at the mississippi high school. authorities did not follow protocol after a white student threw a noose around the neck of the black student. the school's superintendent released a statement saying in part district officials make sure all policies and procedures were followed. >>> a potentially major development in the death investigation of eric garner. the justice dep

a number of peshmerga fighters killed, too. as it becomes increasingly clear isis are not giving up the fight even in the most farther-flung settlements in the territory. we saw ourselves yesterday how drones were being used to spot where the peshmerga were. the peshmerga heavily shot during the fryover so explosives dropped near our positions, too. a very tenacious resistance they are putting up. smaller towns not being given up without some kind of fight, forcing the peshmerga and american forces in their midst to move around. one american casualty reported in the last 24 hours. little information as is customary at the early stages, but announcing an american death in iraq from an ied, a mine to you and me. we have seen ourselves on two key prongs into isis territory how special forces in armored vehicles are often in the first wave of peshmerga armor that goes against isis. they are very much at the front, not involved in the assault but the white house admits certainly in harm's way. carol? >> all right. nick paton walsh r

curtis peshmerga fighters took control of.urdish peshmerga fighters took control of kirkuk in 2013. north of kirkuk, iraqi government forces push ahead of their operation to take back control of the city of mosul. backed up by us-led coalition air power, the forces captured eight villages south and southeast of mosul. we were 80 kilometers east of the city. is a verykirkuk important christian city on the outskirts of mosul. it was the largest christian city ever held by the islamic state group. now all the christians have had to leave, but right now the night arms division of the iraq he army are trying to retake that city. it is extremely difficult. they took us to the front lines today. we did see all the force that had been built by the peshmerga along the way. there were many faults and bunkers along the line of mines., also we also saw some of the division artillery tanks stationed there. today.d not manage there was heavy fighting on the outskirts of the city. it is a big city, so a very difficult earth. we were on that

should wait and only launch a counterattack once the peshmerga are inside.led by a mine and others injured in intense clashes when they flank the town heading left across barren farmland. isis still here, haunting the dust, pushed back moments earlier. they reach one unit pinned down on a hill. they say a drone is observing them but also dropping tiny bombs on them. like grenades, we are warned. rocket after rocket lands. still the rockets come in. exposed, tragic, through land turned air rid in the fight. >> brooke, some of the tragic loss the u.s. is having inflicted upon it during the fighting, the u.s. navy announcing the name of chief petty officer from anaheim, california, part of a demining squad. they go out there risking their lives to take some of the improvised explosive devices placed everywhere by isis. a loss that is understandable. we don't know where it happened but we have seen ourselves the american special forces in their armored vehicles putting themselves so close to the front. the pentagon says they're not assaulting, they're advising b

. >> > kurdish peshmerga forces within five miles of mosul, iraq.oalition of 100,000 troops are trying to free the city from isis control. this weekend defense secretary ash carter flew to iraq to assess the battle. >> nothing that i take more seriously than putting americans in arm's way. make no mistake whether they're flying airplanes overhead or advising units on the ground, even behind the front lines, they are at risk. it's also important that everybody understands that we must do this. >> let's bring in cnn pentagon correspondent barbara starr and cnn international anchor and correspondent michael holmes who is near mosul. michael, let me start with you. what is the situation in and around mosul this morning? >> yeah, as you know, alisyn, the iraqis and the kurdish peshmerga are trying to encircle mosul before they can think about going in. you mention how close they are the most forward position is about seven or eight miles. that's the peshmerga in the north. making progress, too, from the south, the southeast. but not so much from the west

is supporting iraqi and peshmerga forces. their artillery and shells being used to target so-called islamic state. >> there are days when we are going to impose our will, there are days the enemy gets a vote, and he is going to come out on top. this is a big operation in a long war. when you pull back and look at it, here is what i see. i see the iraqi security forces have largely encircled mosul, and they are imposing their will on the enemy in mosul now. reporter: there are 5000 u.s. troops in iraq, not directly joining the fight. nor, general townsend tells me, is the offensive an american-imposed plan. but he is in close contact with iraqi commanders. at his next meeting with the chief of defense staff, he looks for reassurances that have enough equipment and men. defeating i.s. in mosul won't be easy. >> they are a very resilient and challenging foe. they are very adaptable, creative, cunning. we have seen all kinds of examples of that. it is a challenging opponent. they saw people's heads off on tv, they drown people an

remaining, but the peshmerga weren't taking any chances. here is what happened when one attacker approached with a suspected car bomb. orla: before he could reach them, his vehicle exploded. 2 more attackers were stopped by airstrikes from the u.s.-led coalition. the peshmerga say they are fighting a global battle. "we have a powerful enemy. they are not just fighting the kurds or the shia," says this colonel. "they are fighting the whole world. we want to defeat them for everyone's sake." and this is the territory i.s. has been forced to abandon. any civilians were already long gone. there was little to no resistance here, but it will be a very different story inside mosul. the kurds are supposed to clear a path to the city, not go inside it. but as they drive out i.s., they have been adding to the territory, and what they have captured, they intend to keep. just one of the ways in which the battle for mosul could spell the end of iraq. orla guerin, bbc news. katty: the assault on mosul is the biggest military operation in iraq for years w

it has been hairy for the peshmerga fighters and american coalition.hat you know about the american fatality, nick. >> reporter: minimal at this stage. i can tell you from our experience, we are seeing u.s. soldiers very much at the frontli frontline. we see the peshmerga move against isis, there are american vehicles and look like american special forces close to the armored vehicles that make that attack. sad news today. one death yesterday of one american death. it appears he has died from wounds after medevac away from the battle field. this is a sign of the difficulty of the fight with the peshmerga and iraqi army. the peshmerga themselves referring in a statement yesterday to how they like to see more coalition air power and more decisive on the battle field. they were having a tough fight to move in from the north around the territories and mosul yesterday and one particular area. very intense on isis holding back from villages which look very small. as well isis making the presence away from the frontlines and they are confronting them in the k

john. >> ben, we know the kurdish peshmerga is taking action.t will be the iraqi army and police that will go into the city of mosul. then the u.s. role. there are thousands of u.s. troops, whether special forces or advisers. what are u.s. forces doing? >> reporter: there are just over 5,000 military personnel in the country. they are doing a variety of things. one thing is upgrading the runways at two bases. assad and giadia. so they can play a role in the opposition. there are special forces advising the forces on what to do when there are also people providing coordinated to coalition aircraft on where to strike. there's also an american artillery battery taking part in the battle as well. american officials and coalition officials as well are stressing that this is an iraqi-led operation. planned by iraqis and the coalition is merely playing a supporting role. however, those coalition air strikes are absolutely vital to provide iraqi forces with that need needed advantage as they press forward. john. >> and that is important in and of itself

peshmerga with staggering air power. the common sight of american special forces.entagon says they're advising position in the front of the attack. the work is slow. begging the question, what becomes of the wreckage under new masters. suddenly, in the sky, a hail of bullets. spotted a drone. trace arounds dance around it and finally take off its nose. isis used them to spot targets for artillery, even drop small bombs. this one tumbles down. its wreckage picked over, it's still unclear whose it is. yet progress down the road is agonizingly slow. this is a source of so much fighting this morning, but still full of isis and we heard that peshmerga have listened on their radios this morning discussing on how they should wait and only launch a counterattack once the peshmerga are inside. two killed by a mine and others injured in intense clashes when they flank for town heading left across barren farmland. isis still here haunting the dust pushed back moments earlier. each unit pinned down on a hill. observing them and dropping tiny bombs on them. like grenades, we ar

could do more to help the kurdish peshmerga while they're embedded with the kurdish peshmerga, they continuethat they need. they're running out of ammunition. one kurdish commander told me when they fire one rocket at isis, isis fires 50 rockets back at them because isis is so much overpowerballering of the peshmerga in terms of the equipment and ammunition and heavy artillery. this that is an issue to look towards. >> hard to believe still today. thank you. >>> the fight for key battleground states. how tight a race is it. we will analyze >>> in the back of the book segment tonight, it could all come down to a few important swing states on election day. while hillary clinton and donald trump battle for the votes, some republicans are facing more difficult races and they're just starting to delicately distance themselves from their party's presidential nominee. mr. trump will take a look at this new ad from pennsylvania senator pat toomy. >> i have a lot of disagreements with donald trump. i've been very clear about that. but what's important for pennsylvanians is having a senator who will s

could do more to help the kurdish peshmerga while they're embedded with the kurdish peshmerga, they continueed. they're running out of ammunition. one kurdish commander told me when they fire one rocket at isis, isis fires 50 rockets back at them because isis is so much overpowerballering of the peshmerga in terms of the equipment and ammunition and heavy artillery. this that is an issue to look towards. >> hard to believe still today. thank you. >>> the fight for key battleground states. how tight a race is it. how tight a race is it. we will analyzeit's your tv, ta. with directv and at&t, watch all your live channels, on your devices, data-free switch to directv and lock in your price for 2 years, offer starting at $50 a month. remember when you said men are supeyeah...ivers? yeah, then how'd i get this... ...allstate safe driving bonus check? ...only allstate sends you a bonus check for every six months you're accident free. silence. it's good to be in, good hands. >>> in the back of the book segment tonight, it could all come down to a few important swing states on election day. while hi

could do more to help the kurdish peshmerga while they're embedded with the kurdish peshmerga, they continue are the weapons that they need. they're running out of ammunition. one kurdish commander told me when they fire one rocket at isis, isis fires 50 rockets back at them because isis is so much overpowerballering of the peshmerga in terms of the equipment and ammunition and heavy artillery. this that is an issue to look towards. >> hard to believe still today. thank you. >>> the fight for key battleground states. how tight a race is it. we will analyze esurance does auto insurance a smarter way. like their photo claims tool. it helps settle your claim quickly, which saves time, which saves money. and when they save, you save. that's auto and home insurance for the modern world. esurance, an allstate company. click or call. esurance does insurance a smarter way, which saves money. like bundling home and auto coverage, which reduces red tape, which saves money. and when they save, you save. that's home and auto insurance for the modern world. esurance, an allstate company. >>> in the back

could do more to help the kurdish peshmerga while they're embedded with the kurdish peshmerga, they continuee weapons that they need. they're running out of ammunition. one kurdish commander told me when they fire one rocket at isis, isis fires 50 rockets back at them because isis is so much overpowerballering of the peshmerga in terms of the equipment and ammunition and heavy artillery. this that is an issue to look towards. >> hard to believe still today. thank you. >>> the fight for key battleground states. how tight a race is it. we will analyze the polls that matter in a moment. nexium 24hr.. shuts down your stomach's active acid pumps... to stop the burn of frequent heartburn... all day and night. have we seen them before? banish the burn with nexium 24hr. like bundling home and auto coverage, which reduces redney. tape, which saves money. when they save, you save. that's home and auto insurance for the modern world. esurance, an allstate company. click or call. across new york state, from long island to buffalo, from rochester to the hudson valley, from albany to utica, creative busin

kirkuk held by the peshmerga launching many of the attacks against mosul at the moment trying to takesis. the kirkuk attack, coming at dawn, used a number of different assets positito attack that cit still ongoing. able to get pictures on live kurdish television giving people the idea isis can strike at will. still not upsetting the applecart of the main campaign, that continues to push ahead. finding stuff resistance. we ourselves saw how drone used to spot peshmerga positions, direct artillery, position of the drone s shot out of the sky by peshmerga and also have come across waysisisseemed to use drones to drop explosives near our positions as well. remarkable the tech they make out of nothing, sort of homemade. at the same time, announcing a u.s. loss. unclear in directly involved killed by an ied, minimal information is always the case since a u.s. death and we, ourself, have seen u.s. special forces on the front lines. not involved in the assault, level with you, wolf, we see they're armored vehicles often going in behind the first column of peshmerga against isis. the white ho

captain nash, logistically it is interesting, the peshmerga. and how do you see this playing out?well, it looks like it be done in phases. question is they have done in previous engagements. they leave a wedge open, so isis fighters can escape, they don't want them to escape, but they rather fight them out in open, urban combat is worse that you can engage in. you wind up blowing up city, then you have to rebuild. they have to decide whether they will leave them an avenue of escape. which is also an avenue to resupply and reinforce. there is that pitfall. second thing, once they establish accordon around the city and control, they will prepare to enter. charles: i guess, some people say, maybe we advertise this too much. maybe obama administration has telegraphs or operations to point there are no major people that to capture. all high profile folks have lef left. >> in- inup -- intel supports that fact that most of key leaders are out. in terms of trying to keep it secret. this is the worst kept military offensive secret ever. not really possible. it is very complex. we are talki

in peshmerga, troops were driven -- the peshmerga troops drove them out. here a homemade chemical weapon, chlorine gas attached to an improvised mortar. potentially lethal. the fuses have been removed. how many did you find? >> 24. reporter: just in this village? >> just in this village. reporter: some are fleeing areas near mosul as troops advance. more could follow if they could find a way. kurdish forces i.s. tell us executed -- kurdish forces tell in one executed 15 village for trying to escape yesterday. bbc news east of mosul. katty: i spoke with the former ,merican defense secretary william cowan. thank you for coming. it looks like the villages taken by the kurds and the iraqi security forces have been empty of civilians. what happens when they get to mosul where there is almost one million civilians? william: you have been showing tunnels. i'm sure there are tunnels in mosul. when you take a city, you have nemy out block by block and house by house. can take manyl civilians as shields. they can kill them in the process. it can set up barriers to t

nick paton-walsh is with peshmerga fighters on the road to mosul., we saw yesterday, as the first peshmerga convoy moved over the barriers they had separating them from isis towards the main road behind me here, now actually enveloped in a pretty thick cloud of black smoke. we're not sure what it's from. maybe an oil fire, an air strike. always hard to tell. as that peshmerga convoy moved down the road, it was pretty clear there were foreign troops with them. we saw vehicles distinctly associated with the american armed forces. they were part of that convoy. they disappeared into the front ranks. so it's unclear quite what their role was. they may well have been involved in helping some of the air power here that's being coordinated. very effective against isis so far. helping the peshmerga take that territory. moving in other villages around here as well. turkey, though one of the many different powers here trying to make their claim on this offensive has put a bit of a bombshell out today, saying its jets were involved in the air strikes we've bee

peshmerga and shia militias are to wait on the outskirts. this is part of the u.s. brokered agreement aimed at preventing sectarian violence in this mainly sunni muslim city. >> are report he is -- our area andis in the spoke of how there are fears of those remaining in the city. >> there's been reports that in the last 10 days alone, i thousand people have fled mosul and its outskirts to go to these camps.wded refugee hearing worried reports about what is going on in mosul. reuters has managed to speak to some residents and their being told that islamic state militants are forcing the population into strategic ill doings in order to prevent them shelled and indeed they are using the population as human shields. they are not allowed to leave the city. if they do try and get caught, they faced torture or worse. a very worrying situation. we've seen a couple of refugee camps as we were driving here somed the city, we did see but they do appear small in comparison to the massive exodus that can unfold if the population has to flee mosul. >> regime forces in syria have

as they and the kurdish peshmerga bit closer to the village itself, the mission gets more and more delicate. >> we are cleansing the villages, one step at a time, because some of the villages still have civilians in them, which makes our job more difficult. >> the battle continues on multiple fronts. in the northeast, the kurds have more or less in circle one town. the iraqi forces have been held up by the jihadists to the south, but to the east, they are less than 10 kilometers from the city's outskirts. iraqi special forces cleared this village on wednesday. they and were relieved their children were safe, but said others have not been so lucky. >> my brother was killed by the islamic state group because he wanted to join the iraqi security forces. they took a lot of people. they carry them in pickup trucks and i have no idea what their fate will be. >> as they were driven away to a safe distance, a convoy of around 500 iraqi federal police move toward the front to the east of mosul to provide reinforcements to the ongoing operation. police units are said to be among the first to introduc

peshmerga into the desert to flank a main road to mosul. strikes often hitting the places they were headed to fi t first. hopes isis may not fight for the tiny settlements around mosul quickly dashed. this is the first village, they move down the road toward mosul, and encountering pretty heavy resistan resistance, returning fire with what they have. often blunt and old. they want this over. fast suddenly, there's pan et, they spot car, a suicide car bomb racing toward them, it's isis, one, two rockets try to hit it. a third is lucky. they push on toward the main prize, the road itself to mosul. flanked by all fires, lit by isis, and air strikes piling in regardless. shells still landing near the peshmerga, a casualty taken away. >> down on the main objective, the road itself, isis sent two car bombs and attacked from both sides. >> the iraqi military will have to push down here toward moos you will, this has been an effort with much international support. a lot of coalition planning, american air power. >> shut the doors. >> is this yours?

peshmerga fighters and the iraqi army has seized several villages in and around mosul. defensive tunnels and bomb factories have been discovered. officials are saying islamic state group have killed some 232 people near mosul, including civilians and former iraqi forces. they refused to comply with orders. they have also been talking about civilians being used as human shields. james andre has just returned from the campaign in northern iraq. forcesi do not think the will enter mosul straightaway because at the stage they are, they have had a quick advance toward the outskirts. but now they need to hold over behind the front lines. they need to be held. technically, these were supposed to be held by malicious -- by militias and other forces. the iraqi army has to take care of those forces for the moment. that will take a lot of manpower. since these soldiers have to hold onto these positions on the back, they cannot advance toward mosul. the day before yesterday, we were on the front line, the closest to most all, only 3.5 kilometers from the outskirts. the golden briga

there are rockets fired and artillery and heavy machine guns and down below you have the kurdish peshmerga been advancing to the particular villages in the areas leading toward mosul. we have seen some resistance put into place from isis fighters. we have been seen explosions. unclear if they are suicide bombers, car bombs. we have seen much larger explosions which based on the size and large plume of smoke set off from them are air strikes. you hear fighter jets overhead since we have been here for more than 12 to 14 hours now. of course, the great concern is as they push toward mosul, how much resistance will they meet and the city itself. that is where the battle will unfold. hanging in the balance, christine, 1.5 million civilians. >> such an important point. arwa damon, thank you. >>> so much more clayton kershaw's dubious record in the playoffs. dodgers shutdown the cubs to help the dodgers draw even in the national league championship series. andy scholes with this morning's bleacher report is next. s... uhhh... look at the other line... mm...mhh... that's why he starts his day with

shells still landing near the peshmerga, a casualty taken away.he main objective, the road itself, isis send two car bombs and attacked from both sides. the iraqi military, too, at some point will have to push down here towards mosul. this has been an effort with much international support. a lot of coalition planning, american air power. [ gunfire ] >> shut the doors. [ gunfire ] >> is this yours? [ gunfire ] >> stay in the car now! >> isis still everywhere, even in the hills. they give chase to one man, an isis fighter, he shoots at peshmerga. humvees rescue him and hunt on. an isis fighter pops up from a tunnel, shoots. he blows himself up. a tenacity and desire to die that will surely slow and bloody the fight ahead. >> nick joins us now. >> are there actually tunnels around there? that was an isis fighter in a tunnel, you believe? >> that's what we think. he did seem to emerge out of nowhere. at the end of our camera lens there. that's slowing the advance of the peshmerga down. and will continue to do so. isis have had months to prepare for a

claire: what about the peshmerga forces? james: they are making a lot of progress at the moment. we were told they retook 20 cities yesterday. there's also the golden brigade, the anti-terror forces, attacking from the east. they have made important progress because they are retaking a city that is the largest christian city that was ever held by islamic state around 50,000 people living there before he was captured by the jihadist group. they are advancing inside that city. they have retaken some of the neighborhoods, but there is still resistance. with a bit of luck, they should be up to liberate it completely in the hours to come. it is a difficult progression with a lot of car bombs being used, as well as shelling from the islamic state position. it is true that they are a lot closer to the city on this side the eastern front, than they are from the south. claire: what is the latest your hearing on the humanitarian front? james: as far as the humanitarian front is concerned there are great worries about the liberation of mosul itself. the military cannot just go into a city t

iraqi and peshmerga troops are miles from the city.as freed dozens of villages of isis occupation. hundreds of isis fighters are fleeing for syria. cnn's michael holmes on the ground near mosul. michael, what do you see? >> reporter: yes, john. i can tell you we have been keeping an eye on this situation for last two or three days. kurdish forces with a victory surrounding the town and eight other villages. they have been forced back by suicide vehicle bombs and sniper. today, air attacks from apache helicopters. and one of the villages on outside, the peshmerga have been able to get in there and they are making progress to take what is a strategic city from isis. this is an important prize, if you like, for the peshmerga and iraqi forces making gains elsewhere on the battle field. the most forward position is eight miles from the city. they will need to bring others up from different directions before they are settled enough to start thinking about an end to mosul. >> michael holmes following the development in mosul. >>> the big ques

interestingly, today, the peshmerga, the kurdish forces but on a statement saying the u.s. coalition airstrikes had not been as useful as they hoped in the fight against isis to the north of mosul. charlie: how many directions are they advancing on mosul? certainly from the north, i assume from the east? holly: most of the fighting is from the north, used, and south. iraqi forces from the south. on the east, a mixture of iraqi and kurdish forces. from the north, mainly kurdish forces. charlie: is there any conflict between the forces who are opposing isis in mosul in terms of they come from different strategic interests and different cultural and historical backgrounds? holly: as you know, there are there may come a very deep divisions along ethnic and religious lines in iraq. so far, i am not aware of any infighting, but in recent months there has been fighting between the shiite militias and kurdish forces, both ostensibly enemies of isis. but they are jostling for position also in iraq. of course, the big fear here is that during the offensive inside mosul, and perhaps e

they are backed up by kurdish peshmerga to the north and east. signs that the offensive was imminent came out earlier when the iraq he army showered mosul with leaflets, warning residents to stay indoors. their fate is now a top concern for a groups. -- for aid groups. more than one million people live inside the sprawling city, and there are fears that they could be used as human shields by jihadi fighters desperate to hold onto the last stronghold. genie: for more on the situation, let's bring in doug herbert. we are talking about tens of thousands of troops moving in to try to take the city back from the islamic state group three who are they and where are they coming from? dovetail a very disparate dizzying array -- doug: a very disparate, dizzying array. i would like to bring up a little graphic that we have. all of the forces on the ground -- i will quickly talk you through them. let's keep it up there. the battle for mosul -- look at this. you see three of the top things there. the elite c.t.s. counterterrorism services, and the iraqi poli

could do more to help the kurdish peshmerga while they're embedded with the kurdish peshmerga, they continueare the weapons that they need. they're running out of ammunition. one kurdish commander told me when they fire one rocket at isis, isis fires 50 rockets back at them becau because isis is still so much overpowering of the kurds in terms of the equipment and ammunition and heavy artillery that they have. that's an issue we should look towards. >> hard to believe still today. david, thank you.ig >>> still to come, how tight a race is it? we will analyze the polls that matter in a moment. you wouldn't believe what's in this kiester. a farmer's market. a fire truck. even a marching band. and if i can get comfortable talking about this kiester, then you can get comfortable using preparation h. for any sort of discomfort in yours. preparation h. get comfortable with it. >>> in the back of the book segment tonight, >>> in the back of the book segment tonight, it could all come down to a few important swing states on, election day. and while hillary clinton and donald trump battle for those v

. >>> and when it comes to iraqi and peshmerga fighters, they aren't just battling forces on the ground, they are also up against bomb dropping drones in the skies as our own nick paton walsh reports. >> 30 militants sustained attack against key security and government buildings. seven of them dead, many casualties. sort of a way i think of suggesting isis will strike where it was. the violence continuing around mosul itself. as we saw ourselves yesterday, isis able to use drones both to spot the positions on of those attack them but deliver explosives of tense, bloody times on those front lines. day four and perhaps the biggest push yet. from the north into the plains around mosul. trying to dislodge the determined and deranged remnants of isis. the peschmerga back with staggering air power. but our common sight of american special forces through the pentagon says are advising, not assaulting position on the front of the attack. the work was slow. destructive. begging the question what becomes of the wreckage under new masters. suddenly, in the sky, a hail of bullets. they've spotted a

this is a complicated operation, more than 20,000 iraqi troops and thousands of kurdish peshmerga alongpolitical coordinati coordination, as well. the united states, doesn't want the involvement of shiite militia in the area, and you have turkish troops in the area, as well. this is a multiethnic, and battle for iraq's second largest city and will be quite messy and hard to coordinate as we go forward from here. >> so colonel, you have the tactical piece of this, but i'm stuck on the 1.2 million people that nick just mentioned who live in mosul, potentially trapped and could be used as human groups. aides groups would like them to have safe package. if isis said sure we'll let them out, how do you get these people out safely? >> you could, for instance, declare ceasefire, open up a humanitarian corridor, and allow unarmed people out. of course they would have to be checked thoroughly because when that occurred during the battle of fallujah in 2004 a lot of the al-qaeda and iraq fighters escaped with the civilians, so this is something that is possible, could be done, but it would have t

they're reasoning as advisers to the iraqi and the person manager peshmerga kurdish forces moving on there in the field to a very large extent. the rules of engagement require them to stay as far back from the front line of combat as they can. but situations like this just underscore in northern iraq where they're involved in directly assaulting mosul or not. it is just treacherous what isis has put out there in terms of its ability to launch bombs, ieds, booby traps, kill iraqi forces and now perhaps having killed an american service member there as well, wolf. >> all right, barbara, we'll get more information and share it with our viewers. thanks very much. one topic of last night's presidential debate here in the united states was international relations and hot spots. that includes the battle against isis, the humanitarian crisis in syria and of course u.s. relations with russia. here with us to discuss the topics, what we heard in that final presidential debate, our global affairs correspondent elise labboth. what donald trump called the great migration of refugees coming to the

charlie: i mentioned peshmerga, who else is involved in this fight? holly: it is kurdish and iraqi forces so far. when things begin to heat up, when things begin to move towards mosul city itself, i think we will see the participation of more local sunni militias. and then you have iraq's shiite militias. now, they have been effective in defeating isis in other parts of the country, but they are also accused of carrying out atrocities, of exacting retribution on local sunni muslim populations. now my understanding is that they are not going to go into mosul city, they are going to fight on the southwest edge of the city. charlie: what is happening to the people inside mosul? holly: we know very little. there are around one million residents inside mosul. isis tries to stop them communicating with the outside world. it has prevented them from leaving. mobile phones are banned. some people are getting out. they often have very little intelligence. they can say what is happening in their neighborhood, they can talk about friends and neighbors who may hav

the kurdish peshmerga have cleared the tunnel but have also told us not to touch anything we see because it maybe be boobytrapped. >> amazing stuff. we'll go live to the front lines where efforts are under way to liberate the crucial city of mosul from the isis fighters. >>> plus time for an election history lesson, folks, a trip down memory lane that shows the historical documents and political mementos from some of our amazing leaders from our nation's past. you can run an errand. (music playing) ♪ push it real good... (announcer vo) or you can take a joyride. bye bye, errands, we sing out loud here. siriusxm. road happy. what? is he gone?? finally, i thought he'd never leave... tv character: why are you texting my man at 2 a.m.? no... if you want someone to leave you alone, you pretend like you're sleeping. it's what you do. if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance, you switch to geico. it's what you do. tv character: taking selfies in the kitchen does not make you a model. sprint? i'm hearing good things about the network. all the networks are great now. we're tal

kurdish peshmerga forces and iraqi units both firing heavy weapons on the advance.w closer to mosul from the northern and southeastern flanks. the closest forces now just ten miles from the city. defense secretary ash carter wrapped up a visit to iraq to check on the fighting. >> it is absolutely essential that we destroy isil in these cities of mosul and raqqah. however, even in iraq and syria, that doesn't end the campaign. >> reporter: but in the mosul area, there is progress. more than 100 isis militants killed in the last 24 hours, according to iraqi commanders. iraqi and peshmerga forces reclaiming more than 300 square miles around mosul from isis. u.s. military analysts are poring over valuable intelligence coming from the battlefield. >> we get more intelligence, more information about how they're operating, therefore, get new opportunities to attack external plotters. >> reporter: isis operatives and family members have been leaving the city. heading west to sinjar, many trying to cross into syria, according to local tribal leaders. fighting is expected to

and we have that now with the iraqi forces, forward and the peshmerga. >> okay.ust a final question because we have this election going on, and there's -- there's been talk especially from donald trump that we're presenting our war plans to the public and then we're fighting the battle, and that's bad. so we know all the stuff that's going on in mosul right now. is that dangerous for our american troops for coalition forces and for the iraqi troops who are fighting isis? >> it depends on what you say. i don't think the fact that the iraqis with coalition help were going to liberate mosul. everybody knows that. we've been talking about it for over a year. everybody knows that it had to happen. the timing is -- you could look at why are we announcing the timing? but, isis knows what's going to happen. they knew this was coming. everybody's been gearing up for it. everybody's been talking about this since mosul fell. everybody knew that the iraqis would have to go back and get it. i don't think we've really told them the tactics. i think we told them what we plan to

the peshmerga encircling areas, not clearing them out.ing could cause problems going forward, ambush in the rear of the iraqi army and peshmerga as they move forward but also for civilians trying to flee. it's only the feirst week at ths stage and we are not near the urban sprawl of mosul itself. carol? >>> even before iraqi led forces make it to mosul the humanitarian crisis is getting worse. according to the norwegian refugee council, 5,000 people have already been displaced by the mosul offensive and it's expected to get much more severe. capacity at newly built camps is currently around 60,000 people and once mosul is retaken, around 200,000 people are expected to be displaced. so far more than 1,000 refugees have been removed from a notorious migrant camp in france known as the jungle. dozens of buses have been enlisted to take the migrants out of the camp and then they have the option of going home or resettling in other parts of france. clashes in the camp broke out sunday between the migrants and police there. many of the migrants

this is a source of so much fighting this morning, but still full of isis and we heard that peshmergae listened to those militants on their radios this morning discussing how they should wait and only launch a counterattack once the peshmerga are inside. two killed by a mine and others injured in intense clashes when they flank for town heading left across barren farmland. isis still here haunting the dust pushed back moments earlier. we reach one unit pinned down on a hill. they say a drone is observing them and dropping tiny bombs on them. like grenades, we are warned. rocket after rocket lands. over the hill, there is fiercer fighting. and, still, the rockets come in. exposed, trudging through land. turned arid. now we know some sad news from the pentagon that a u.s. soldier lost his life in the last 24 to 48 hours or so. minimal details as is customary when a u.s. death is announced. this soldier was hit by an ied, a mine in you or i language and that caused him to die from his injuries later on after being evacuated from the battlefield. it's not clear if he was involved in that

that as iraqi and peshmerga forces continue to liberate cities on their way to mosul.raqi special forces have joined the fight, making a predawn advance on a village held by the terror group. this is viewed as a significant step as those troops are expected to lead the charge into mosul. meanwhile, french president francois hollande says there is evidence that isis militants are fleeing the city. nbc's matt bradley will be joining us short. >>> last night, donald trump tangled with the moderator over comments made in the last debate over aleppo that chris wallace said were, quote, not true. >> you said several things in that debate which were not true, sir. you said aleppo has basically fallen. in fact, there are -- >> it's a catastrophe. >> it is a catastrophe -- >> have you seen it? have you seen it in have you seen what's happened to aleppo? >> sir, can i finish my question? >> okay, so you haven't. it's fallen. >> there are a quarter of a million people being slaughtered. >> they are because of bad decisions. >> if i may finish. you also said syria and russia are b