War to war: Fleeing Mosul residents arrive in Syria

Hundreds Iraqi families have fled fighting in Mosul to Hassakeh province in Syria over the past two days, activists have said.

Crowds of women and children are said to have reached the provincial capital of Hassakeh - controlled by Kurdish forces - as fears grow that the Mosul offensive could spark a wider humanitarian catastrophe. 

It comes as a coalition of Iraqi forces began the long-awaited Battle of Mosul early Monday, in an attempt by Baghdad to break into the Islamic State group's bastion in northern Iraq.

It began with artillery barrages from Kurdish, US and Iraqi artillery, and waves of air raids pounding the outskirts of Mosul.

The presence of Shia militias have led many to believe a mass exodus from the city of over a million could begin, if the fighters enter Iraq's second largest city.

"More than 300 families arrived in the northern Syrian province after fleeing from clashes in and around Mosul," local activist Suhaib al-Hassakawi told The New Arab.

"Local humanitarian groups have had to provide the refugees with basic necessities due to the absence of international organisations," he added.

He said the humanitarian conditions are dire due to excessive security measures the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in Hassakeh.

Meanwhile, international humanitarian organisation, Save the Children, told The New Arab that "many people in the city" but are unable to.

"They are worried about getting caught in the cross-fire, standing on mines or booby trapped explosives, or getting caught by IS trying to leave," Alun McDonald, Middle East region media manager at Save the Children said. 

"Meanwhile food prices in the city are high and many people can't afford to eat."

Aid groups have expressed concern that amid the military focus on defeating IS in the group's Iraqi headquarters, there has been a lack of consideration for the humanitarian fallout.

"There has been a lack of planning; either there will be a lot of civilian casualties or a lot of people fleeing," said McDonald. "The humanitarian aspect has been like an afterthought."

On Monday, Iraq's prime minister, Haider al-Abadi announced the launch of the military offensive after months of anticipation.

The first day of the offensive left at least 60 IS fighters dead, sources told The New Arab.

The group also lost nearly 60 percent of its rocket launchers and land mines around Mosul in coalition airstrikes and shelling, according to military sources from the Nineveh liberation operations room.

Mosul is the extremist group's last major stronghold in Iraq and its recapture would shatter IS's claim that it is still running a "caliphate" straddling Iraq and Syria.

But many think that the offensive could take weeks, possibly months, to end and could require huge amounts of fire power to break into the city.