The second day of Iraq’s “resumed” offensive in Mosul saw forces facing heavy resistance from ISIS, and a very slow march for troops to gain ground in southern Mosul, pushing into areas through mud-covered roads after days of rain, and trying to keep moving defensive barricades out a bit.
Some gains were made in the southern front, where heavy fighting was reported and ISIS forces carried out several ambushes against advancing forces from the surrounding area, with small bombings leading to a lot of shrapnel injuries among troops and civilians.
The offensive in northern Mosul isn’t going nearly so well, however, with troops so far unable to even get into the city itself, fighting over areas on the outskirts and trying to cut off ISIS supply routes into the area in hopes they’ll eventually get into the districts.
Iraqi officials remain confident they’ll eventually recover the city, which has been held by ISIS since 2014. The city’s large, Sunni population is said to be concerned about what will happen when the Shi’ite-dominated government captures the city, as sectarian crackdowns have been a recurring problem throughout the war.