For Iraqi police, the battle against Islamic State militants in western Mosul is a difficult grind. (Felipe Dana, File/Associated Press)MOSUL, Iraq — On the western side of Mosul, much of the fighting against Islamic State militants takes place between houses so close that they almost touch. The Islamic State extremists who took over the city in 2014 were driven out of eastern Mosul by Iraq’s elite counterterrorism force in January. My body is getting tired.”Part of the police unit’s work in western Mosul involves manning checkpoints and interacting with civilians, some of whom remain in the area despite the fighting. It is hard to be sure how many civilians have been killed or wounded since the battle for western Mosul began nearly two months ago.

Source: Washington Post April 17, 2017 06:56 UTC