Rival groups vie for supremacy as fight against Isis reaches tipping point
(The Guardian Iran)

With Isis close to defeat in Mosul, its various opponents are already competing to define what will happen next Iraqi forces have advanced to the base of the toppled minaret of Mosul´s Great Mosque of al-Nuri, hours after it was destroyed by Islamic State militants, as the bitter eight-month battle to recapture the city reached a tipping point.The destruction of the mosque marked a pivotal moment in the war against Isis, which declared its now withered caliphate from there three years ago. The terror group´s wanton act of sabotage was widely seen as a harbinger of its imminent defeat. Continue reading...