Iraqi security forces are trying to loosen Islamic State’s grip on Mosul. It is Iraq’s second-largest city, and ISIL’s last stronghold in the country. The safety of civilians is a major concern as militants fight back.

Government offensive continues in Mosul

Iraqi Federal Police prepare to join the fight to re-capture Mosul from ISIL. Early expectations of a swift victory have proved overly optimistic.

“The civilians and other factors are behind our slow advance towards our targets. We intend to advance slowly in order not to jeopardize lives of families and civilians in neighborhoods,” said Lt. Gen. Abdul-Ghani Al-Asaadi, commander of Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service.

The U.N. says ISIL has brought another 1,500 people from a nearby town into Mosul to act as human shields and also abducted nearly 300 former members of the Iraqi security services. Despite the concern for civilians, heavy artillery is now being trained on the city, which is also under aerial bombardment.

Iraqi attack helicopters are operating overhead. We have heard from the army today that they have blown up at least one major ammunition dump inside Mosul, but that poses enormous risks to the civilian population still trapped inside the city. The city is also where ISIL is trapped, having just lost Bashiqa, one of the group’s last outposts near Mosul.

“Now the town of Bashiqa has completely been cleansed from ISIL. We ask the residents of Bashiqa not to rush back as there might be still homes that have explosives, or roads that have explosives,” said Lt. Gen. Jamal Mohammed Omar, head of the Peshmerga Forces.

Explosives were not enough to stop members of the town’s Christian community from returning to pray at their local church, where the bells rang for the first time in more than two years.