i recently visited the front line where the kurdish peshmerga are, and i tell you they say that they need the weapons in order to continue a push towards mosul. they have captured a strategic high ground. we spent a day with them, this is what we found. >>> from a strategic mountain above villages held by a kurdish state group, peshmerga forces are poised for a push to mosul. islamic state fighters don't fire back. movements are punished by mortar strikes, like this in this village. peshmerga troops in a 3-hour battle captured the mountain, and bombarded the villages below, left empty by christians and yazidi who fled. >> translation: these are the villages, and this is the i.s., armed i.s. in the village. they bombarded here. they no longer have the capability, peshmerga are on the front line, feeling great. >> a city of 2 million, mosul is the iraqi capital of the islamic state. as mosul goes, commanders say so goes the war for iraq. >> this is the forward-most point for the peshmerga in iraq facing mosul. in the near ground is bartela, a christian town held by the islamic state, a

. >> and the peshmerga have loyalty to themselves first. the question is they are still undermanned. they don't still have armored vehicles. they have 20-year hand me downs from the iraqi military, but they are fierce fighters. there is likely an air campaign getting together right now to try to helping. >> and we have heard that the french will provide air support. because again, the french are very sensitive about providing direct military combat assistance. >> yeah, that's a pr move for the french. get with general allen and we'll get back to you as to what we need. >> let's go over to mike viqueira now. the administration has john kerry in front of the hours foreign affairs committee. again, mike, i want to get your reaction as the news shifts on the ground between iraq and syria, and isil is taking villages, does that put more pressure on the administration? does the administration react on a day by day basis? >> i think the messaging coming from the white house is no ground forces they are going to stick to that come hell or high wate

the peshmerga mosque was shelled by the militia. we arrive in the village. it's deserted. houses have been torched. one is still smouldering. the peshmerga has a position close by, but they are pulling out, leaving the militia in control. the commander says his men respect the arab sunni house they set up camp in. ti.d we are giving us lives to protect ... >> we are giving our lives to protect all people's property. >> reporter: the peshmerga have gone house to house disnantling improvized explosives. this had wires buried under the road. this was under a toilet seat. >> they were taken to a nearby town where shi'a fighters beheaded a sunni residence. >> when we witnessed it, it made us angry, we can't accept it. we told them if it happened again, we'll fight you. we ordered them to stop. >> the shia militia don't take orders from them. a peshmerga commander filmed this man on the day amerli fell. and is giving orders in farsi. the commanders witnessed fighters alongside the iraqi shia. >> as president obama announced an expansion of sticks, he risked the militia taking co

we know that britain has been supporting the peshmerga forces in the north of iraq. it will be interesting to see whether there's any kind of shift in the response to islamic state. whether they'll become part of the coalition to strike islamic state fighters in iraq. >> all right. emma, thank you for that. emma haywood at westminster. now to john hendren in northern iraq and erbil. what reason did haines killers give for beheading him? >> the executioner in that video spoke directly to david cameron, addressing him by name and said "this british man is paying the price, cameron, for your promise to arm the peshmerga in their battle against the islamic state. it was a direct accusation or direct blaming, rather, of brits for cooperating in the coalition. the brits have promised to arm the peshmerga, and they say they are awaiting the arms in order to carry out what could be the biggest battle yet to come. that is for the city of mosul, a big city, just a couple of hours away from the syrian border. it's a sunni arab city, occupied by the islamic state. we spent time

now peshmerga forces appear to be rolling back i.s. fighters in an attempt to retake the country's second largest city. john hendren has this report from the front line. >> reporter: from a strategic mountain above villages once held by the group calling itself "the islamic state." peshmerga troops stand poised for a push toward mosul. islamic state fighters no longer fire back. any movement is punished by mortar strikes like this one in the village of tarja. in a three-hour battle, peshmerga troops captured zertek mountain then backed by u.s. air strikes, they bombarded the villages below left empty by christians and yzitis who fled before they arrived. >> this is the i.s. armed i.s. inside the village there. they bombarded there. but now they no longer have the capability. the peshmerga are on the front line feeling great. >> a city of 2000002 hours drive, mosul is the iraqi capitol of the islaming state. has mosul goes, commanders hearsay, so goes the war for iraq. >> this is the forward most point for the peshmerga in iraq facing m

time is one commodity the peshmerga have in short supply. john hendren reporting there from northern iraq. the atrocities committed by the islamic state fighters have been condemned. coming up we report from the philippines, how some armed groups there pledge allegiance to the caliphate. >> a new episode of the ground breaking series, edge of eighteen >> just because your pregnant don't mean your life's ended. >> intense pressure... >> i don't know if this whole dance thing will work out. >> tough realities... >> we chicago ch-iraq, because we have more killings... >> life changing moments... >> shut the camera.... >> from oscar winning director, alex gibney, a hard hitting look at the real issues facing american teens. the incredible journey continues... on the edge of eighteen only on all jazeera america >>> these are the top stories on al jazeera. britain's prime minister says the apparent beheading of the aid worker david haines will strengthen britain's resolve to destroy the self-styled islamic state. hays was kidnapped in syria last y

in northern iraq, peshmerga fighters are now on the offensive. cnn's anna coren has that part hoft story. . >> reporter: we're about 30 kilometers east of mosul in northern iraq. as you can see from the black plumes of smoke behind me, it's been the scene of an intense battle between the peshmerga and isis militants. just before dawn, the kurdish forces launched a ground offensive to clear out five townships under the control of the islamic extremists. in regaining this territory, the peshmerga are pushing closer to a strategic bridge blown out by isis a month ago. it's a vital link between erbil, the capital of kurdistan, and mosul, iraq's second largest city, which has been an isis stronghold since june. the peshmerga need to take back control of this area, rebuild the bridge in preparation for the next phase of the operation, the battle for mosul. u.s. air strikes have been critical in today's operation. for hours, they circled the skies above us before hitting enemy targets and vehicles. the u.s. is refusing to make direct hits on towns and v

now, the peshmerga backed by u.s. air strikes appear to be rolling back i.s. fighters in an attempt to retake the country's second largest city. john hendren has this report from the kurdish army's front line. >>. >> from a strategic mountain above villages once held by the group calling itself the islamic state, kurdish peshmerga troops stand poised for a push toward mosul. islamic state fighters no longer fire back. any movement is responded to by mortar strikes. they cal toured zertek mountain and then they bombarded the villages below left empty by christians and yzitis who fled before they arrived. >> this is the village, sheik amir village, shakil, the armed i.s inside the village there. they bombarded here. now, they no longer have the capability. now peshmerga are on the front line and feeling great. >> a city of 2 million just 2 hours' drive from the syrian border, mosul is the iraqi capitol of the islamic state. as mosul goes, commanders hearsay, so goes the war for iraq. >> this is the forward most point for the peshmerga in iraq facing mosul. in th

you mention the peshmerga. they are not ready to take on that battle. we also have to remember that mosul falls outside of the borders of kurdistan. we spent days embedded with them over the last couple of weeks. they would say we don't have the arms or the equipment or training. they are calling on the americans and other ally countries within the global coalition to come to their aid. that is happening, obviously. they say they definitely need more help. u.s. air strikes are critical. they are helping change the situation on the ground and they are being effective in pushing isis out of the small villages. we were there on the ground at the frontlines several days where they took back five villages and a strategic bridge. this is what we will see moving forward in the weeks and months as they gradually get closer to mosul. the u.s. air strikes are critical for cover for the ground forces, but in taking out the enemy position and taking out the artillery targets. certainly what we are hearing, john, from the peshmerga, is they want more air strikes and

now, peshmerga forces backed by u.s. air strikes do appear to be rolling back is fighters in an attempt to retake the country's second largest city. john hendren has this report from the kurdish army's front line. >> from a strategic mountain above villages once held by the group calling itself the islamic state, kurdish peshmerga troops stand poised for a push. islam ilk state fighters no longer fire back. any movement is punish by morta strikes like this one in the village of tarjin. a three-hour battle, peshmerga troops captured terjek mountain and bombarded the villages below left empty by christians and yazitis who fled before they arrived. >> this is the i.s., armed i.s. inside the village there. they have bombarded here now, they no longer have the capability. now, peshmerga are on the front line and feeling great. >> a city of 2 million just 2 hours' drive from the at a time border mosul is the capitol of the islamic state. as mosul goes, so goes the war for iraq. >> this is the forward most point for the peshmer

the peshmerga are the kurdish troops in northern iraq. they are the biggest threat in that part of iraq. they have been pushing back the islamic state with the assistance of u.s. air strikes, and they are moving towards the capital. and that is in mosul, a sunni r arab city of 2 million people. we spent time there, this is what we found >> reporter: from a strategic mountain ahead of an area held by the islamic state. kurdish forces push forward. i.s. no longer fire back, because any movement is punished by mortar strikes, like this one. in a 3-hour battle they captured the mountain and bombarded the villages below, left empty by christians and yazidi. this is the village. this is shakool. this is the is, inside the village there. they bombarded here. now they no longer have the capability. >> a city of 2 million, 2 hours drive from the border, mosul is the iraqi capital of the islamic state. as mosul goes, so goes the war for iraq. >> this is the forward-most point for the peshmerga in iraq. in the near ground is bartela, a christian tow

. >> two hundred members of the peshmerga have been killed, but peshmerga fighters believe the number is much higher. >> reporter: this man's vehicle hit an ied killing one and wounding three others. >> we don't have specialized equipment for ieds. it's a huge problem. nobody has taught us how to deal with them. the enemy knows what to do with the ieds, mortars and snipers. >> reporter: the unit came face to face with the enemy. >> i lost my nephew. they killed him. they shot him. the sniper shot him in the head. >> reporter: we were given rare access to hospital wards of kurdish fighters. the peshmerga has kept the media out before now fearing that the sight of wounded soldiers would hit morale among the army and kurdish people. >> we're losing a lot of people because there is such a huge difference between us and them. they come to die. when they run out of ammunition they blow themselves up. >> reporter: the peshmerga has fought against the islamic state with assault rifles and grenades. but their official death toll is 200, a sensitive subject that could affect morale. >> we alway

the peshmerga have suffered casualties. this morning, one of their soldiers was killed we understand in one of these village where is they were fighting. there was intense fighting not very long ago. we could hear the mortars, the artillery, the machine gunfire. we understand that the isis militants have many snipers in these towns and they're booby trapping the buildings, laying land mines and ieds on the roads. so it's making it very difficult for them to clear out these towns and villages. they're certainly doing it with the help of those u.s. strikes. errol? >> anna coren live for us in northern iraq. a suicide bomber taken out by peshmerga fighters. anna, thank you very much. we'll connect with her throughout the day here on cnn. now we want to bring you this developing story. nato-led forces say suicide attack in kabul has killed three members of their international force. the taliban have claimed responsibility. the interior ministry says tuesday morning's bombing targeted a convoy of foreign forces along kabul's int

you herd the peshmerga troops talking about arms. they want heavy arms, and would ideally like to see western fighters alongside of them. but they say they would be satisfied with air support from the united states, and the various other support they can get from the coalition in terms of military help. but they also want diplomatic help, and they would like to have a diverse group enter the town of mosul, rather than the kurdish troops. they'd like iraqi sunnis and shia troops along with them. they are confident to get the helps they promise. >>> john hendren there in northern erbil. thank you. australia is the first country to give details of its correcti contribution to the military effort. tony abbott says it will send 600 airmen and special forces. eight fighters, a command aircraft and refuelling plane. they'll be based at the u.s. military facilities in the unit emirates. >> i can advise that we have, within about the last 24 hours, received a specific request from the united states government to contribute forces to possible

the peshmerga have a position close by but they're polling out. the commander said that they respect the house they set up camp in. >> we're giving our life to unite iraq to protect all people's property. but others are not doing this. in particular the badr organization. this is not acceptable. >> the peshmerga have gone house to house, dismantling explosive devices left by i.s. fighters. they found one under a road. they found explosives left under a toilet seat. we go to a nearby town where the shia fighters had beheaded a sunni arab resident. >> when we witnessed that, it made us angry. we cannot accept this. we told them if it happens again we'll fight you. we ordered them to stop, and they promised to do so. >> reporter: but the shia militia do not take orders from them. they are giving orders in iranian farsi. they witnessed many iranian fighters along side them. the spokesperson for the badr organization said there are no such revenge attacks on sunni. we've liberated the towns taken by is in a completely national level regardless of ethni

this is the forward-most point for the peshmerga in iraq facing mosul. in the near ground is bartela, a christian town held by the islamic state group, and beyond is motorcyclual. commanders -- motorcycle eel. commanders -- mosul. commanders are waiting for an order to push forward. the kurdish troops want the backing of sunni and shia force,s, they want more american air strikes and arms. >> we need weapons, support, outside help. we need every kind of help because we are poor people. tell them. >> translation: the islamic state is a cancer. they will take every country if you don't push them out. they'll take everything. it's better to destroy them as soon as possible. the peshmerga are ready for what could be a battle in the war against the islamic state. or dash. it's a matter of time before we throw dash out of iraq. with mosul nearly in their sites and islamic state fighters a few hours from supply lines in syria, time is a commodity that the peshmerga have in short supply. >>> that was john hendren live in erbil. as mentioned there's a coalition o

most recently egypt. >> speaking of the kurdish peshmerga, the u.k. played a part in arming them. there are indications that they could be more involved in the fight against the islamic state. how important is it to get this backup for the fighters on the ground. >> the kurdish peshmerga forces on the ground say they don't have all the weapons they need. they always had a great relationship with the west. not just in the no fly zones, they preceded the war in 2003. they have been supplied by the west. the problem is there is a bit of tension between baghdad, the central government of iraq, and the kurdish peshmerga forces because the more they are armed the more concerned there is, as to the independent base. and the west is in a difficult position when it comes to arming people in those areas. that may be why they are not getting the arms that they need. they say it's key that they get that, and after the announcement by president obama, that they'll pursue the new islamic state, and after the islamic state has come together, it's likely we'll see a change coming through the gove

i'm gonna say, peshmerga? and if we're going into syria, the key is the moderate syrian opposition, whom the "new york times" describes as "a diverse group riven by infighting, with no shared leadership." good. if movies have taught us anything, it's that a ragtag band of underdogs can overcome any odds. (laughter) i say this war in syria will be just like e expendables 3, an expensive sequel that no one will want to see. plus, we've got a number of arab partners. that number? imaginary. >> the obama administration is so far unwilling to name those arab partners. but as one senior state department official put it, i don't want to leave you with the impression that these arab members haven't offered to do airstrikes, because several of them have. >> stephen: there it is. an anonymous official is telling us that our unnamed arab patters in definitely maybe won't "not" contribute something! (laughter) and that quote raise as lot of questions. first and foremost -- what the hell is going on in that cnn graphic? we

there are peshmerga fighters. it's clear the shia militias make the decisions and they are reluctant to go through. we are trying to get to film a village they have flattened and torched. one that used to have sunni arabs in it. >> eventually they let us through. the sunni mosque was shelled. we arrive in the sunni village. it's deserted. houses have been torched. one is smouldering. >> the peshmerga has a position close by, but they are pulling out, leave the militia in control. the commander says his me respect the arab sunni health they set up camping. >> we are giving our life to unite iraq, to protect all people's property. others are not doing this. in particular the organization. this is not acceptable. >> the peshmerga has been house to house dismantling improvised fighters. this one had command wires buried under the road. they found explosives left under a toilet seat. >> the peshmerga escort takes us to a nearby town, where they tell us the shia fighters beheaded a sunni arab resident. >> when we witnes

but the injured peshmerga fighters think that number is much higher. the fight nor foreign iraq etched across his face. his unit had pushed forward when his vehicle hit an ied killing one and maiming three others. >> we don't have specialized equipment for ieds. it's a huge problem. no one has taught us how to deal with them, but the enemy knows what it's doing with the ieds. mortars and fighters. >> reporter: his union came face to face with the enemy. >> i lost my nephew they killed him. a sniper shot him in the head. >> reporter: we were given rare access to hospital wards of kurdish fighters. the peshmerga has kept the media out before now fearing the sight of wounded soldiers would hurt morale among its army and the kurdish people. >> we're losing a lot of people because there is such a huge difference between us and them. they come to die. when they run out of ammunition they blow themselves up. >> reporter: the peshmerga has fought against the islamic state in iraq and the levant for three months taking on far bigger guns with little horror than

peshmerga forces are not strong enough to change that. they will need international help to dislodged isis from mosul. despite not to say they will fight for mosul for a city that is not kurdish. serious ethic complications there. anna coren is 60 miles from mosul in erbil. >> reporter: as you say, it is a sunni populated city of some 2 million people. iraq's second largest under control by isis since june. to send in the peshmerga, the kurdish forces in northern iraq into mosul would be a blood bath. saying if we sent the shi'a military, predominately the iraqi security forces. this is where the problem lies. they need some sunni uprising or resistance forces within mosul to kick out isis. a huge problem facing iraq. you know, you hear president obama say it is up to the iraqis to secure iraq. the problem is, we heard from america's top military official, general dempsey. the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. saying half of the iraqi security forces are incapable to push back isis. that is alarming considering all of the money and r

the peshmerga regain territory here. five villages where there has been that intense fighting going on. just a short time ago, we heard gunfire. the u.s. fighter jets have been circling since dawn. it is 11:30 a.m. the issue is to regain the territory to get to a bridge nearby. that bridge was blown up by isis a month ago. it is a vital link between erbil in northern iraq and to mosul which is the second largest city and as we know, has been an isis strong hold since june. the plan is to regain that bridge so the next phase of the operation which is the battle for mosul. in the meantime, the air strikes making a huge difference to the play here on the ground. we also saw the remnants of a suicide bomber packed with explosives in an oil tanker heading to the peshmerga before he could reach them, he was blown up by rpg. more explosions here. there is fighting going on many fronts. john and christine. >> anna, we can see the smoke behind you. clearly you are on the frontlines with the peshmerga and isis forces. you mentione

200 have been killed, but the peshmerga fighters believe that number is much higher. we've been given access to hospitals in erbil. >> reporter: the fighting in iraq, his unit has pushed forward towards the city of mosul when his vehicle hit an ied, killing one and injuring others. in. >> the enemy knows what it's doing with ieds, mortars and snipers. >> reporter: on the same operation his unit came face to face with the enemy. >> i loft my nephew. they killed him. a sniper shot him in the head. >> reporter: we were given rare access to hospital wards of kurdish fighters. the peshmerga have kept the media out until now fearing that the sight of wounded soldiers would hurt morale among its army and the kurdish people. >> we're losing a lot of people because there is such a huge difference between us and them. they come to die. when they run out of ammunition they blow themselves up. >> reporter: taking on far bigger guns with little more than assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades. but their official d.t. toll is just 200. it's a sensitive subject that could affe

>> the peshmerga are going to be the holding force. we cleared the village, and they will hold the ground. >> reporter: if this holds true it represents a historic extension of the kurds' forces reach. far more south than they have ever been. nearly 50 miles beyond the disputed area of kirkuk and its rich oil fields. on the way back from the battlefield we came across this convoy where troops are mass ago long side the road. these are shia fighters, in fact, they are the army which the u.s. army is very familiar with when they were fighting here in iraq, look here, this is al sadr, the head of the army. and now they are all heading down the road to continue the fight against the islamic state. they decline today speak on camera but they weren't shy about letting us film. strange bed fellows for the u.s. military in this all hands on deck effort to push back the islamic state. >> "america tonight" "fault line's" correspondent joins us from iraq. we have received reports that the islamic state is claiming the mushed of a second american

it's the peshmerga fighting isis. so it's a matter of getting a global coalition, which is obviously what president obama is trying to put together to take part in those air strikes. but mosul is a completely different ball game, because it is a densely populated city, it is going to require urban warfare. therefore, the emphasis is on this sunni uprising. getting the population to turn against isis. they're the ones who have not necessarily invited isis in, but they have welcomed them and many of them have fought alongside these extremists. so really that is the next phase of trying to get the town's population, the city's population, to turn against the militants. heading to mosul, these townships and villages, isis is digging in. they fight to the death. what we are hearing from the soldiers, the kurdish soldiers, is that they are strapping themselves with explosives. they are blowing up buildings. they are laying ie derveds. it's making it difficult for the peshmerga to advance, which is why the american air strik

this is the forward most point for peshmerga in iraq facing mosul. in the near ground that is town of bartella, a muslim town held by the peshmerga. waiting on an order to push towards the most fortified pass chon in iraq. but -- bastion in iraq. they want more american air strikes and more arms. >> we need weapons. we neat support, we are-d we need support we need outside help we need all kind of help because we are poor people. tell them. the islamic state is a cancer. they will take every country if you don't push them out. they will taking everything. it is better to destroy them as soon as possible. >> reporter: the peshmerga say they are nearly ready for what could be the decisive battle in the war against the islamic state or to use the arabic word, dash. a few hours for their supply lines in syria, time is one commodity peshmerga have in short supply. john hendren, al jazeera, iraq. >>> attack helicopters to be used against the islamic state group, the two countries announced a deal in june in which russia is supposed to supply iraq with atta

there are peshmerga fighters on the same checkpoint. it is clear that the shia militias have made their way here. we tried to get to film, a village flattered and torched, that used to have sunni arabs in it. >> eventually they let us through. the sunni mosque was shelled by the militia. we arrive in the village of sunnis. houses have been torched. the peshmerga are close by, but they are pulling out, leaving the militia in control. the commander said his men respect the area. >> translation: we are giving our life to unite iraq, protecting people's property. others are not doing this. this is not acceptable. >> the peshmerga has gone house to house dismantling improvised devices left by fighters. this had command wires buried under the road. and they found explosives under a toilet seat. fighters beheaded a sunni resident in one house. >> translation: when we witnessed it it made us angry, we cannot accept this, we told them if it happened again, we will fight you. it's not acceptable. >> the shia militia don't take orders from them. t

to send military materials, including weapons and ammunition to peshmerga fighters. fighters and arms can quickly change sides. the fight against the islamic state is proving an exceptional case. the equipment, valued at 17 million euros will be sent in three sit -- three shipments. the first will be enough to equipped 4000 peshmerga fighters. >> china says it will pick the candidates in the race for hong kong's new leader. in a rare show of defiance protesters hackle a senior official, forcing him to abandon a speech explaining his decision. >> occupy central is illegal. if we bend down to the radicals and illegal movements triggered by the minorities, it will lead to more illegal movements. >> protesters say beijing is breaking its promise to let hong kong decide who will lead it. let's come back to france. seven people have been killed in the explosion of an apartment building outside paris. workers are looking for one man still missing in the wreckage. the building was cut in half. the blast looks to be linked to an accidental gas leak. also making headlines the

the peshmerga needs to take back this area to prepare for the next battle, the battle for mosul. the air strikes have been critical. for hours, they circled the skies before hitting the enemy targets and vehicles. the u.s. is refusing to make direct hits on towns fearing civilian casualties bs, but the peshmerga tells us that the local population has fled, and only isis is here. and earlier we saw a group going to reach the peshmerga, but before he could reach them, he was hit causing a huge plume of smoke. snipers are laying explosives and ieds and using suicide bombers in an attempt to slow down the peshmerga advance. anna coren, northern iraq. >> thank you. we want the take you live to the capital toll hill where the senate arms committee is about to get under way. this is all about the war on isis, and chuck hagel and chairman martin dempsey are set to testify. and joining us are jim sciutto and ryan cooper, and national correspondent of the week, and maria cardona and raj salan and contribu contributor to t"the national review," and james spider marks who is a cnn military a

we drove towards a second peshmerga position. in paris, leaders from 30 countries, including arab governments, were pledging their support for a coordinated campaign against i.s. in iraq. the concrete details were in short supply. in 1991, british, french, and american air support helped the peshmerga defeat saddam hussein's army in northern iraq. now they say they're ready to take on islamic state, but they need the right help. there's no sense here of preparations for a large-scale ground offensive, but if they were, that would be of little comfort to the second british hostage whose life is now in danger, or the many others whose live s are being held inside syria. i.s.'s fighters could come charging back up this road at any moment. neither the syrian government nor its principal backer, iran, was invited to join the coalition of the willing in paris. in the absence of a unified strategy across iraq and syria, it's far from clear whether more bombing will have the desired result. >> the bbc is in baghdad for us. that is the qu

now, that it's under the peshmerga control, they can rebuild it. and of course, it is part of the highway connecting erbil, just where we are here, the capital kurdistan, to mosul, iraq's second largest city. a city of 2 million people which is now an isis stronghold and has been since june. it's very important that they have that connection, because, obviously, that route is going to be critical for the battle for mosul. that is what everything is gearing up for. that's what all of these preparations are under way, regaining all of this territory towards mosul, where we were yesterday, word was that intense fighting was some 30 kilometers east of mosul that gradually, christine, the peshmerga are making advances. we saw the u.s. air strikes and how critical they play in this offensive. you know, not only providing that critical ground cover for the -- i should say cover for the ground forces to advance. but also, taking out those enemy positions, hitting the targets. hitting the armored vehicles. and it makes such a difference to the situation her

the peshmerga has been close by. they are now pulling out leaving the shia militia in control. >> we're giving our life to unite iraq to protect all people's properties but others are not doing this. in particular the badr organization. this is not acceptable. >> the peshmerga have gone house to house dismantling explosive devices left by the i.s. fighters. they found one under the road. they even found an device under a toilet seat. they take us to a nearby town where they tell us the shia fighters beheaded an arab sunni resident. >> when we witnessed it, it made us angry. we cannot accept this. we told them ahead of the game we will fight you. it is not acceptable. we ordered them to stop, and they promised to do so. >> reporter: but the shia militia don't take orders from them. one peshmerga man videoed this man giving orders in iran farsi. >>> they say, quote: barac >> as president barack obama announceds an expansion of airstrikes across northern iraq he risks allowing the shia militia to take coal more and more

and our anna coren follow add long with peshmerga forces on an all-night operation. she shows us how the mission unfolded in this exclusive report. >> reporter: on a dirt road less than an hour from kurdistan's capital, a long envoy of peshmerga head towards enemy territory. they're gearing up for a mission to eradicate isis across a 30-kilometer front. these soldiers have been up all night. we've been hearing the jets overhead. they've been circling for the last few hours, getting ready to strike those isis positions. at dawn, the offensive begins. a barrage of heavy weapons raining down on isis from multiple positions. and these heavy plumes of smoke, the result of u.s. air strikes. the islamic extremists seized control of this area back in june after its lightning advance across northern iraq. on the other side of the mountain are the planes that run directly to the heart of mosul, iraq's second largest city, an isis stronghold. these mortar and artillery strikes have been pummeling the five villages at the base of the mountain where u.s. air strikes have also bee

meanwhile, on the grounds of iraq, peshmerga forces are fighting to liberate mosul. also, it's not the campaign trial quite yet, but hillary clinton's trip to iowa has political implications. and we meet the new minority group in public schools. >>> british prime minister david cameron says the country will hunt down the islamic state group after it claimed responsibility for beheading british aid worker david haines. david cameron says he's prepared to take action to counter the threat from i.s. >> david has been murdered in the most callous and brutal way imaginable, by an organization that is the embody. of evil. we'll hunt those responsible and bring them to justice. they are not muslims, they are monsters. >>> emma haywood has more on the british reaction on the beheading of david haines. >> david haines spent more than a decade carrying out work around the world. last year he went to syria, was kidnapped and ended up in i.s. hands. on saturday his family reached out to those holding him. the group, now in control of large swathes of land in northern iraq respon

does this new plan get the peshmerga fighters what they need? what's the response there to what the u.s. president had to say a short time ago? >> reporter: finally we're getting response from the kurdish senior officials. and they welcome what president obama outlined in his strategy. they were looking for commitment from the united states, and they feel that they have got it. this is going to be a long-term strategy. obviously president obama has outlined that this is not going to be achieved in a matter of weeks or months. this is years in the making, this operation, against isis. as far as the specific details, it wasn't necessarily outlined as to what the peshmerga would get. they need more arms, they need the weapons, they need the training, they need the intelligence gathering. obviously this is what the united states will be providing with those 475 extra troops that will be sent to iraq. that will take the number to well over 1500 u.s. forces on the ground. they're not going to be operating in any sort of combat role. the president has

the peshmerga say the sunni mosque we passed wasshelled by the militia. we arrive in the village of yangija. it's deserted. houses have been torched. one is smoldering. the peshmerga has a position close by but they are now pulling out, leaving the militia in total control. the commander says his men respect the arab sunni house they have set up camp in. >> we are giving our lives to unite iraq, to protect all people's property. others are not doing this. in particular, the brother organization. this is not acceptable. >> the peshmerga has gone house to house dismantling improvised explosive devices left by i.s. fighters. this one had command wires buried under the road. they found explosives left under a toilet seat. our peshmerga escort takes us to the nearby town where they tell us the shia fighters beheaded an arab sunni resident. >> translator: when we witnessed that, it made us angry. we cannot accept this. we told them if it happens again, we will fight you. it's not acceptable. we ordered them to stop. they promised to do so. >> the shia militia d

the peshmerga and iraqi army disappeared. we ran away to protect our honour. we yazidi are targeted. the islamic state group singled us out, meaning to kill us all. >> the camp overs schooling and care. it costs $50,000 a day to run. next door, a reminder of the refugee crisis turkey has been managing for more than three years. at the top of the hill one of the more than 20 syrian refugee camps in the country. the facilities here are of a high standard. the camp is full. for now, this is the last yazidi refugee camp built in turkey. the turkish government is paying for three more refugee camps, but is building them over the border in kurdish glassed iraq. security concerns meant the final location of the camps in iraq had to be changed. now they are expected to be ready to host 35,000 yazidi by mid september. >> we have been in close cooperation with the local authorities, to ensure that the sight we will build the camps that (a) are safe and (b) allowing us to provide the same services. >> reporter: many we spoke to will not go back to iraq. is fighters showe

so the peshmerga and the iraqis, they are doing their best. they're obviously supported by those crucial u.s. air strikes. according to u.s. central command, 160 to date over the past five weeks. and they have really changed the situation on the ground. certainly providing cover for those ground forces but also disabling isis, taking out enemy positions, striking artillery, mortar as well as those armed vehicles that have made those convoys across much of the plains and deserts across northern and western iraq. the u.s. air strikes containing isis but certainly not defeating them. we know that the americans are sending in more military personnel, 475 taking the total number to 1700. they'll be advising, assisting, training, providing intelligence which is critical. also taking on that leadership role which has been sorely lacking here in iraq. so under the guidance of the united states, it's hoped that the iraqis and the peshmerga will be a far more effective force, george. >> it's just after the noon hour there in erbil where you are. if you

there are peshmerga fighters on the same checkpoint. it's clear the shia militias make a difference. we are trying to get to film a village that they flattened and torched. a village that had sunni arabs in it. eventually they let us through. the peshmerga say the sunni mosque we pass was shelled by the militia. we arrive in the sunni village, it's deserted. houses have been torched. one is smouldering. the peshmerga has a position close by, they are pulling out. the commander says his men respect the house they set up camp in. >> we are giving our life to unite iraq, protecting all people's property. others are not doing this. in particularly the badr organization. >> the peshmerga have gone house to house dismantling devices. in this command wires buried under the road. they found explosives left under a toilet seat. our escort takes us to a nearby town, where the shia fighters beheaded an arab sunni resident. >> translation: when we witnessed it it made us angry. we cannot accept it. if it happens again, we'll fight you. we order the

this is not acceptable. >> the peshmerga is dismantling i.e.d.'s. this one is buried under the road. they even found explosives left under a toilet seat. our escort takes us a the nearby town with the shia fighters beheaded an arab sunni resident. >> when we witnessed that, it made us angry, we can't accept this. we told them if it happens again, we will fight one it's not acceptable. we ordered them to stop and they promised to do so. >> but the shia militia don't take orders from them. they filmed this man giving orders in iranian farsi. we've liberated the towns that were taken by i.s. in a completely national level, regardless of ethnic or sectarian backgrounds. the forces, which you call militia are recognized by the iraqi army on an official level. others are under the iraqi army command. as president obama announced airstrikes across northern iraq, allowing the shia militia to take control of more and more territory, it will not win minds in the sunni community. >> what are the principle risks involved in the president's approach? >> the unit

they will be training, advising, assisting in iraqis and peshmerga. this is what the makeup will look like of the battle plan. the support that u.s. air support which is so critical. u.s. central commander telling us there have been 160 u.s. air strikes around mosul dam. mosul dam was taken back by the peshmerga but the fighting is intense around the areas close to that area. >> in erbil what is the sense? do people resist or is there a sense of terror just seeing the images and videos that have been released by this group? >> reporter: look, certainly, five weeks ago when isis was, you know, knocking on the door, it was a place that was really quite terrified of the possibility of isis overrunning the capital of kurdistan. that is when we saw the u.s. air strikes start, obviously, to defend erbil. if it wasn't for those air strikes, isis could very well have taken over this city. but, certainly, the fighting is close by. we've been to the front line with the peshmerga not far from where we are. and while there is a sense of calm now in the city becau

. >> and peshmerga forces go on the offensive against isis. just a crossbow. you can shoot things with it. can't touch it? no, you can't touch it. look at this, my george foreman grill. ah, that cooks meat so good. (buzzing electronic toothbrush) i can't touch the toothbrush that you put in your mouth? (giggling): yoga! you have an operational dvd player? you also can't touch my digeridoo. digeridoo? or didgeridoo? >>> thanks for staying with us. i'm john vause. >> and i'm rosemary church. it's still too close to call, just one day before scotland votes on whether to break away from the united kingdom. several polls show a slight lead for those who support staying in the u.k. voters are considering a renewed pledge from london to give scotland more say over its own affairs. >> u.s. president barack obama warns west africa's ebola epidemic is a threat to global security. mr. obama announced thousands more military and medical personnel will build field hospitals and treatment centers. >> a man abducted with u.s. journalist steven sotloff last year says u.s. off

the peshmerga who only sustained a few injuries. the commander boasting that more than two dozen isis fighters were killed and a number were captured. a victory they know won't always be easy in the days ahead. the peshmerga now control the mountain and surrounding villages. the next stage will be to take the townships on the plain. the key mission will be to liberate mosul. but that will take more planning and coordination not just amongst the kurds and iraqis but the international community. >> thank you, an nachlt reporting from erbil tonight. >>> an american slain by isis. hundreds today mourning the loss of 31-year-old steven sotloff. erbil tonight. >>> an american slain by isis. hundreds today mourning the loss of 31-year-old steven sotloff. f >>> an american slain by isis. hundreds today mourning the loss of 31-year-old steven sotloff. so factors like diet can negatively impact good bacteria? even if you're healthy and active. phillips digestive health support is a duo-probiotic that helps supplement good bacteria found in tw

i think the size of the peshmerga is very relevant. the state of its forces, the armaments they have, and yet we're continually talking about their peshmerga as if they were going to solve the whole problem. have you made a fresh assessment of their capability? >> i don't think we've ever thought the peshmerga could solve it. they're holding the line, doing it with compassion and conviction, as you would expect. but isil has many other targets where the peshmerga will not be the answer, clearly as they were advancing south to the baghdad. the burden fell on the formal iraqi security forces in syria. they're in conflict with other groups. so, the peshmerga happened to be in the front line at the point where this conflict came to the attention of the world. and it was the kurds who were holding the line against isil. they will remain an important part of that line. certainly not the whole solution. >> you talked about arming peshmerga. the arms have gone to baghdad first. are they then distributed to peshmerga? is there equal distributio

there are also peshmerga fighters on the same checkpoint. it's very clear it's the shiia m militia in that makes the decisions. we are trying to get to film a village that they have apparently flat enged and torched, a village that used to have sunni airabs living in it. >> eventually, they let us through. the peshmerga say the sunni mosque we passsed wasshelled. we arrive in the sunni village. it's deserted. houses have been torched, one is still mosmoldering. the peshmerga have a position close by that they are now pulling out, leaving the militia in total control. the commander says his men respect the arab sunni house that they have set up camp in. >> we are giving our lives tounite iraq, to protect all people's property. others are not doing this. this is not acceptable. >> the peshmerga has gone house to house dismantling can improvised devices left by isis fightsers. this one had demand wires buried under the road. they found explosives left under a toilet seat. our peshmerga esc orlt takes us to the nearby town where they tell us the