Mosul, Iraq. The Great Mosque of Mosul, a Sunni mosque originally built by Saddam Hussein, though construction was never completed. The mosque was used as a training school for Islamic State militants, a storehouse for stolen items and one area was turned into a prison for Mosul residents who did not obey ISIS rules. It also served as a stage for filmed beheadings by the Islamic militants. The Great Mosque was liberated on January 18th, 2017.
Mosul, Iraq. Members of the Iraq Special Forces prepare to smoke a shisha in a humvee before embarking on an operation in the "forest", an area east of the Tigris river in Mosul. The Iraq forces declared on January 24th, 2017 that eastern Mosul was liberated from Islamic State control after three months of fighting.
Mosul, Iraq. After two and half years under Islamic State Control civilians cross a bridge in front of Mosul University, which was closed during their rule, until Iraq Special Forces liberated the area. ISIS took control of Mosul University two and a half years ago, turning it into a facility that could benefit their interests. The science laboratories were used as a facility for making weapons. Coalition air strikes destroyed most of Mosul University, while ISIS is believed to have started fire to some of the buildings.
A broken down ambulance in the Al-Sukar neighborhood of eastern Mosul. For more than two and half years Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city has been under the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil). Since October of 2016, Iraq Special Forces have been fighting to take back the city of Mosul from ISIS. On January 24, 2017 the Prime Minister of Iraq declared the entire east side of Mosul had been fully liberated. An offense to take back the west side has yet to begin. According to the United Nations, 750,000 civilians are living under Islamic State control in western Mosul.
Mosul, Iraq. A member of Iraq Special Forces show Abdul-Ghani al-Assadi commander of Iraq's anti-terrorism unit the recently liberated Great Mosque of Mosul, a Sunni mosque originally built by Saddam Hussein, though construction was never completed. The mosque was used as a training school for Islamic State militants, a storehouse for stolen items and one area was turned into a prison for Mosul residents who did not obey ISIS rules. It also served as a stage for filmed beheadings by the Islamic militants. The Great Mosque was liberated on January 18th, 2017.
Mosul, Iraq. A homemade car constructed by ISIS to carry out a suicide attack blocks a road in the Al Hayy az Zarai neighborhood of eastern Mosul. According to conflict researchers ISIS has used more suicide bombers in Mosul than any other conflict in history. For more than two and half years Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city has been under the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil). Since October of 2016, Iraq Special Forces with the help of the American military implementing coalition airstrikes has begun the battle to take back Mosul. The east bank of Mosul has been fully liberated by the Iraq military, but the west bank is still under ISIS control. The final stage to liberate the west bank of Mosul has yet to begun, but a more intense battle is expected.
Mosul, Iraq. Civilians pass over a collapesed bridge in the market place of the recently liberated neighborhood of Al Sukar in eastern Mosul. ISIS has used drones with grenades to target busy areas where many civilians congregate. Though eastern Mosul is considered fully liberated by the Iraq Army, possible ISIS snipers, trip wires, and IEDs [improvised explosive devices] are still a threat to civilians. For more than two and half years Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city has been under the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil). Since October of 2016, Iraq Special Forces have begun the battle to take back Mosul.
Mosul, Iraq. A child in the recently liberated neighborhood Al Sukar of eastern Mosul, stares at a the body of a dead ISIS fighter. Residents of the neighborhood said he had been on top of a building when an airstrike occured. For more than two and half years Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city has been under the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Since October of 2016, Iraq Special Forces with the help of the American military implementing coalition airstrikes has begun the battle to take back Mosul.
Mosul, Iraq. An Iraqi soldier cleans left over weapons of ISIS fighters he has found in areas of the Al Sukar neighborhood of eastern Mosul. For more than two and half years Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city has been under the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil). Since October of 2016, Iraq Special Forces have been fighting the battle to take back Mosul.
Mosul, Iraq. A woman walks past a mosque destroyed by ISIS in the Al Sukar neighborhood of eastern Mosul. For more than two and half years Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city has been under the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil). Since October of 2016, Iraq Special Forces with the help of the American military implementing coalition airstrikes has begun the battle to take back Mosul.
Qaraqosh, Iraq. Yussef Abdullah, 20, a member of the Assyrian Christian militia the Nineveh Plain Protection Unit (NPU) walks through a tunnel made by ISIS. The tunnel which served as a bomb shelter and escape route passes under the church of St. Barbara and leads to an open field.
Families from Al-Rashidiya in northern Mosul arrive Khazir refugee camp late in the evening. Though the Iraq Special Forces had declared eastern Mosul fully liberated, the families had to leave their neighborhood after ISIS retaliated by shelling the area a day and half after it was liberated.
Nahla, 20, from Sinjar, Iraq was bought and sold at least 9 times at a market in Raqqa, Syria. She was held captive for one year and four months, until her family was able to buy her back. She said she was continually raped by different men and at one point she was ganged raped by four ISIS fighters. The United Nations (UN) has declared that the Islamic State of Iraq committed mass genocide on the Yazidi people. Accoring to the UN more than 5000 Yazidi lost their lives during the genocide.
Men rest by a fire at the market in the recently liberated neighborhood of Al Sukar in eastern Mosul. ISIS has used drones with grenades to target busy areas where many civilians congregate. Though eastern Mosul is considered fully liberated by the Iraq Army, possible ISIS snipers, trip wires, and IEDs [improvised explosive devices] are still a threat to civilians. For more than two and half years Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city has been under the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil). Since October of 2016, Iraq Special Forces have begun the battle to take back Mosul.
Mosul, Iraq. The Great Mosque of Mosul, a Sunni mosque originally built by Saddam Hussein, though construction was never completed. The mosque was used as a training school for Islamic State militants, a storehouse for stolen items and one area was turned into a prison for Mosul residents who did not obey ISIS rules. It also served as a stage for filmed beheadings by the Islamic militants. The Great Mosque was liberated on January 18th, 2017.
Mosul, Iraq. Members of the Iraq Special Forces prepare to smoke a shisha in a humvee before embarking on an operation in the "forest", an area east of the Tigris river in Mosul. The Iraq forces declared on January 24th, 2017 that eastern Mosul was liberated from Islamic State control after three months of fighting.
Mosul, Iraq. After two and half years under Islamic State Control civilians cross a bridge in front of Mosul University, which was closed during their rule, until Iraq Special Forces liberated the area. ISIS took control of Mosul University two and a half years ago, turning it into a facility that could benefit their interests. The science laboratories were used as a facility for making weapons. Coalition air strikes destroyed most of Mosul University, while ISIS is believed to have started fire to some of the buildings.
A broken down ambulance in the Al-Sukar neighborhood of eastern Mosul. For more than two and half years Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city has been under the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil). Since October of 2016, Iraq Special Forces have been fighting to take back the city of Mosul from ISIS. On January 24, 2017 the Prime Minister of Iraq declared the entire east side of Mosul had been fully liberated. An offense to take back the west side has yet to begin. According to the United Nations, 750,000 civilians are living under Islamic State control in western Mosul.
Mosul, Iraq. A member of Iraq Special Forces show Abdul-Ghani al-Assadi commander of Iraq's anti-terrorism unit the recently liberated Great Mosque of Mosul, a Sunni mosque originally built by Saddam Hussein, though construction was never completed. The mosque was used as a training school for Islamic State militants, a storehouse for stolen items and one area was turned into a prison for Mosul residents who did not obey ISIS rules. It also served as a stage for filmed beheadings by the Islamic militants. The Great Mosque was liberated on January 18th, 2017.
Mosul, Iraq. A homemade car constructed by ISIS to carry out a suicide attack blocks a road in the Al Hayy az Zarai neighborhood of eastern Mosul. According to conflict researchers ISIS has used more suicide bombers in Mosul than any other conflict in history. For more than two and half years Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city has been under the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil). Since October of 2016, Iraq Special Forces with the help of the American military implementing coalition airstrikes has begun the battle to take back Mosul. The east bank of Mosul has been fully liberated by the Iraq military, but the west bank is still under ISIS control. The final stage to liberate the west bank of Mosul has yet to begun, but a more intense battle is expected.
Mosul, Iraq. Civilians pass over a collapesed bridge in the market place of the recently liberated neighborhood of Al Sukar in eastern Mosul. ISIS has used drones with grenades to target busy areas where many civilians congregate. Though eastern Mosul is considered fully liberated by the Iraq Army, possible ISIS snipers, trip wires, and IEDs [improvised explosive devices] are still a threat to civilians. For more than two and half years Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city has been under the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil). Since October of 2016, Iraq Special Forces have begun the battle to take back Mosul.
Mosul, Iraq. A child in the recently liberated neighborhood Al Sukar of eastern Mosul, stares at a the body of a dead ISIS fighter. Residents of the neighborhood said he had been on top of a building when an airstrike occured. For more than two and half years Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city has been under the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Since October of 2016, Iraq Special Forces with the help of the American military implementing coalition airstrikes has begun the battle to take back Mosul.
Mosul, Iraq. An Iraqi soldier cleans left over weapons of ISIS fighters he has found in areas of the Al Sukar neighborhood of eastern Mosul. For more than two and half years Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city has been under the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil). Since October of 2016, Iraq Special Forces have been fighting the battle to take back Mosul.
Mosul, Iraq. A woman walks past a mosque destroyed by ISIS in the Al Sukar neighborhood of eastern Mosul. For more than two and half years Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city has been under the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil). Since October of 2016, Iraq Special Forces with the help of the American military implementing coalition airstrikes has begun the battle to take back Mosul.
Qaraqosh, Iraq. Yussef Abdullah, 20, a member of the Assyrian Christian militia the Nineveh Plain Protection Unit (NPU) walks through a tunnel made by ISIS. The tunnel which served as a bomb shelter and escape route passes under the church of St. Barbara and leads to an open field.
Families from Al-Rashidiya in northern Mosul arrive Khazir refugee camp late in the evening. Though the Iraq Special Forces had declared eastern Mosul fully liberated, the families had to leave their neighborhood after ISIS retaliated by shelling the area a day and half after it was liberated.
Nahla, 20, from Sinjar, Iraq was bought and sold at least 9 times at a market in Raqqa, Syria. She was held captive for one year and four months, until her family was able to buy her back. She said she was continually raped by different men and at one point she was ganged raped by four ISIS fighters. The United Nations (UN) has declared that the Islamic State of Iraq committed mass genocide on the Yazidi people. Accoring to the UN more than 5000 Yazidi lost their lives during the genocide.
Men rest by a fire at the market in the recently liberated neighborhood of Al Sukar in eastern Mosul. ISIS has used drones with grenades to target busy areas where many civilians congregate. Though eastern Mosul is considered fully liberated by the Iraq Army, possible ISIS snipers, trip wires, and IEDs [improvised explosive devices] are still a threat to civilians. For more than two and half years Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city has been under the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil). Since October of 2016, Iraq Special Forces have begun the battle to take back Mosul.