An Iraqi army soldier smokes a cigarette as toxic fumes rise on the horizon in Qayyarah, about 31 miles (50 km) south of Mosul, Iraq. Once inside Mosul, Iraqi special forces would have to go from street to street to clear explosives and booby traps set up by Islamic State. Islamic State, Iraqi commanders say, have succeeded in the past in blocking army troops from moving against them by staging suicide attacks and rigging explosives. The Mosul offensive will be the most important battle fought in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. “Mosul is not be the end of Islamic State or the end of extremism in this region.

Source: Hindustan Times October 23, 2016 19:52 UTC