Thousands of soldiers prepare for an assault on Isis controlled Mosul

Up to 30,000 Iraqi soldiers are being prepared for the attack

Mosul had a pre-war population of 2.5 million (AP)

Hundreds of American soldiers have arrived in Iraq ahead of an assault on Mosul, the largest Isis controlled city.

Alongside the soldiers, 500 military advisers have also travelled to Qayyara airbase 40 miles south of Mosul, to help plan for the offensive.

Up to 30,000 Iraqi soldiers are also being prepared for the attack and French army artillery units will be providing support.

Massoud Barzani, President of Kurdistan, said in an interview with France 24: "There have been multiple meetings between leaders of the Peshmerga and the Iraqi army. They have finally agreed on the military plan and the role of each side."

Mr Barzani said Shia and Sunni Muslim militias run by former Mosul governor Atheel al-Nujaifi have also pledged to take part in the offensive.

“Regarding the Hashid Shaabi or the Hashid Watani, there must be an understanding between these forces and the residents of the Mosul area. Until now that does not exist," he said.

Some Isis fighters are thought to have moved into neighbouring Syria but between 3,000 and 9,000 are expected to defend the city, the Times reported.

Mosul holds symbolic significance in the war as it was where Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of Isis, announced the so-called caliphate in 2014.