ISIS takes advantage of bad weather to hit back at Iraqi forces.
Residents have been streaming out of western neighbourhoods recaptured by the government, many desperately hungry and traumatized by living under ISIS’ harsh rule. As many as 600,000 civilians are still trapped with the militants inside Mosul, and thousands of residents have escaped to government lines in recent days but it has been impossible to tally the number of civilian casualties. The army and security forces have made significant gains in recent days in the battle that started back in October, seizing a main bridge over the Tigris River and advancing towards the mosque in the Old City from where ISIS’ leader declared a caliphate in 2014. But the fighting is expected to become even harder as the militants defend their last enclaves in what was once their stronghold in Iraq.