More than 900 people have fled the Iraqi city of Mosul and crossed the border into Syria, the UN refugee agency said today
It is the first large group of civilians confirmed to have escaped since the Iraqi government began its offensive to liberate the city from Islamic State (IS).
Up to 1.5 million people are thought to be in Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, with up to 5,000 fighters.
A spokeswoman for the Office of UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that the 900 people from Mosul were now at a refugee camp in Syria.
Residents reached by telephone by Reuters said IS had tried to prevent people fleeing the city and had directed some towards buildings likely to be targeted by air strikes.
But the movement of a significant number of people indicates that IS militants are not able to stop everyone leaving.
However, it has raised fears that some fighters might try to use the same route to flee.
Iraqi Government troops are moving up from the south towards Mosul while their Kurdish allies are approaching from the east in a two-pronged campaign which began on Monday.
They are still between 19 and 25 miles from the city. Progress has been slowed by suicide bomb attacks and roadside bombs.
US defence officials have accused IS of stopping civilians leaving Mosul so it can use them as human shields.
Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said: “They are being held there against their will. We have not seen any change in the last day of people leaving or fleeing.”
Residents said IS was preventing people fleeing and had directed some of them towards buildings likely to be targeted by air strikes.
The International Organisation for Migration fears IS might even use chemical weapons.
The capture of Mosul in 2014 signalled the rise of IS as a major force.
Government and Iraqi forces are still besieging Qaraqosh to the east, where snipers have been holding up the advance.
US President Barack Obama has sought to allay concerns about an exodus of civilians from the area, saying “plans and infrastructure” are in place for dealing with a potential humanitarian crisis.
