The City of Mosul is one of the last enclaves that is still under the domain of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Considered a spiritual capital for the group, Mosul is the key city that needs to be retaken to finally get these thugs out of the country. But so far, it hasn’t been an easy fight. Located on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite of the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, the northern Iraq city has been under ISIL control since June 2014. Since October 2016, it has been the site of a military operation led by the Iraqi Government in an effort to dislodge and defeat militant forces.
The Battle of Mosul, a military offensive to retake the city, is the largest deployment of Iraqi forces since the 2003 invasion by U.S. and coalition forces. However, what was once thought of as a relatively uncomplicated operation, has turned into a grinding task that continues to drag on as the year comes to an end.
Like in every war of this nature, the battle has taken a bigger than expected toll on civilians. With urban combat comes, enemies have no shame in using civilians as shields and deterrents as you can see in this video.
Watch the video below to see the Battle of Mosul as Iraqi’s continue to try to retake their city:
[revad2]
