Mosul battle Live: Iraqi troops held up outside village on eastern front

This is Abbas village on the southern front of the Mosul offensive. Iraqi troops have been surrounding the village since the first day of the offensive and only now are slowing making their way into the homes.

The village is large compared to most others taken back so far.

There are pockets of ISIS militants inside Abbas but their explosives and bombs are the main the threat to these troops.

The army says one of the reasons for the slow advance into Abbas is lack of air cover.

They are also slowed down by sniper fire from hidden locations.

This offensive is not an easy ride into Mosul. It is a slow process, taking one village at a time and securing it before moving on to the next.