Iraq is reportedly preparing to launch a military offensive to retake the northern city of Mosul from Islamic State (IS).
Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said that he hoped that the city will be liberated in a few months' time and with a minimum of casualties, the BBC reported.
The city, home to more than a million people, was taken by the IS in June last year.
Abadi also said that he had been "a bit frustrated" in his first few months in office by the "slowness" of international support in the fight against the IS.
However, he added that the situation had changed for the better.
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