Peshmerga Forces Liberate Villages From Islamic State Militants

Iraqi Kurdish forces have liberated nine villages from Islamic State (IS) militants in northern Iraq's Nineveh region. Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and tanks moved into the village of Bashiqa on May 31, as part of an operation to retake IS territory around Mosul. The Kurdish regional government has said it is trying to retake several IS-controlled villages in the region in preparations for an eventual assault on Mosul. (RFE/RL'S Radio Farda)