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The Battle for Mosul Moves West (33 photos)

Four months ago, thousands of Iraqi and Kurdish troops, supported by the United States, France, Britain, and other western nations, began a massive operation to retake Iraq’s second largest city of Mosul from ISIS militants. About two weeks ago, Iraqi government troops began to push into the western half of ISIS-occupied Mosul, after securing the eastern side. Beginning with the airport, troops have been going from neighborhood to neighborhood, house to house, facing fierce resistance from ISIS militants, including suicide attacks, improvised drone bombings, snipers, and booby traps. Tens of thousands more Iraqis have fled the new battles, joining many more thousands in overfull refugee camps throughout Iraq.  Also, see previous stories on the battle for Mosul here, here, and here.