See the dramatic footage of an ISIS attack on Iraqi tanks
SUMMARY
On Oct. 17 an Iraqi-led coalition began the long battle for Mosul, Iraq's second largest city and an important hub for ISIS.
And the Internet is already getting flooded with videos and photos from the fighting.
The Twitter feed Conflict News (@conflicts) released footage of the Iraqi Army's 9th Armored Division rolling towards the fighting near the outskirts of Mosul:
VIDEO: Iraqi Army 9th Armored Division advancing as part of the #Mosul offensive. - @ArmY_Iqpic.twitter.com/2PtM5gDa9a
— Conflict News (@Conflicts) October 17, 2016
About an hour later, Kurdistan24, a Kurdish news channel, released this footage of Iraqi Army tanks suffering a vehicle-borne IED attack by ISIS fighters:
#BREAKING: #ISIS suicide car bomb detonates next to an #Iraq-i army tank - southeastern #Mosul !
More videos: https://t.co/b1jRtuw46S pic.twitter.com/nJ3ZccGT6M
— Kurdistan24 English (@K24English) October 17, 2016
The fight for Mosul has been expected for some time and the U.S. military has built up logistics and command and control capabilities at nearby bases to assist the Iraqis in their fight. Army Col. Brett G. Sylvia commands some of the soldiers operating in Northern Iraq. He sent a Facebook update to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team "STRIKE," 101st Airborne Division's families on Oct. 3 to prepare them for the Battle of Mosul:
The tireless work of STRIKE Soldiers has set the conditions for the final push against Daesh in Iraq. In the coming months, your Soldiers will advise and assist the Iraqi army from disparate locations, working together as one team towards the final objective: the liberation of Mosul, defeat of this cowardly enemy, and the establishment of a stable environment for the peace loving citizens of Iraq.
American, Iraqi, Kurdish, and other forces are expected to slowly push ISIS from the city in the coming weeks.
