Extremists 'shave beards' as pressure builds on Mosul

Residents say IS group seems to be preparing for assault on the city

Extremists with the Islamic State group were shaving their beards and changing hideouts in Mosul, residents said, as a major Iraqi offensive moved ever closer to the city on Wednesday.

With pressure building on the 10th day of the Mosul assault, Western defense chiefs were already looking ahead to the next target - IS group's other major stronghold of Raqa in Syria.