CONCARNEAU, France (Reuters) - An Iraqi government-led offensive to retake the northern Iraqi city of Mosul from Islamic State will start soon, France's defence minister said on Friday after French warplanes took off from the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier to strike the militant group.
The United States on Thursday increased the number of troops it has in Iraq to more than 5,000 as part of a U.S.-led coalition providing air support, training and advice to the Iraqi military, which collapsed in 2014 in the face of Islamic State's territorial gains and advance towards Baghdad.