The Guardian: Battle for Mosul: how Isis is losing ground
More than two weeks after the start of the operation to take back Iraq’s second city from Islamic State, we map the progress of the coalition forces
In June 2014, when Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a global caliphate, he did it from Mosul, Iraq’s second city. Isis rapidly expanded its territory in Iraq and Syria throughout that year, but has since been gradually pushed back, partly due to US-led airstrikes. Losing Mosul now could spell the end of the jihadist group’s ability to control large swaths of Iraq.
The long-awaited operation to take back Mosul began on 17 October, involving a coalition of more than 30,000 troops drawn from Iraqi army forces, Kurdish peshmerga fighters and Shia militias supported by airstrikes from a US-led coalition. Turkish forces are also involved despite Iraqi government opposition.
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WNU Editor: These maps show that a lot of territory still needs to be conquered. That at this rate it is going to take a long time to drive ISIS out of Mosul.