There is no way in hell I would ever want to be in these situations. When one reads this, it brings a sense of gut-wrenching fear? Disgust? Disbelief?
On the western side of Mosul, much of the fighting against Islamic State militants takes place between houses so close that they almost touch. Snipers fire from roofs and through holes blasted into outer walls.
Seen through these holes, this part of Iraq's second-largest city is a landscape of half-collapsed buildings, burned-out cars and rubbish-strewn streets. Helicopters hover and barricades of sandbags block the streets.
How do you know who is who? And, these men come from other paces, having little or no knowledge about the city they’ve been tasked to keep the peace in.
Read more @ Patrolling Western Mosul a Weary Grind for Iraqi Police | Military.com
Here’s another view of the same subject:
Iraqi forces fight door-to-door in Mosul as battles enters seventh month
Heavy exchanges of gunfire and mortar rounds could be heard from the neighbourhoods facing the old city across the Tigris river that bisects Mosul into a western and eastern sides.
The war between Islamic State militants and Iraqi forces is taking a heavy toll on several hundred thousand civilians trapped inside the city, with severely malnourished babies reaching hospitals in government-held areas.
Iraqi Federal Police forces “are engaged in difficult, house-to-house clashes with Daesh fighters inside the Old City”, a media officer from these units told Reuters.
Drones are being used to locate and direct air strikes on the militants who are dug in the middle of civilians, he said.
More @ Iraqi forces fight door-to-door in Mosul as battles enters seventh month - One America News Network
And here are ten gut-wrenching videos of the fighting:
Chaos, carnage, and courage: First 6 months of Battle of Mosul in 10 visceral videos @ Chaos, carnage, and courage: First 6 months of Battle of Mosul in 10 visceral videos
ISIS launches 2nd chemical attack in Mosul in 2 days, injures 6 Iraqi soldiers @ ISIS launches 2nd chemical attack in Mosul in 2 days, injures 6 Iraqi soldiers
