October 19, 2016 at 12:19AM

Iraqi and Kurdish forces have begun a military offensive to take back the ISIS-controlled city of Mosul. Leaders say liberating this city will be difficult and could take months. More than a million civilians are thought to be trapped in the city that was captured by ISIS two years ago. -- By Leanne Burden Seidel

Smoke rises from Islamic state positions after an airstrike by coalition forces in Mosul, Iraq, Oct. 18. The pace of operations slowed on Tuesday as Iraqi forces began pushing toward larger villages and encountering civilian populations on the second day of a massive operation to retake the northern Iraqi city of Mosul from the Islamic State group. (Associated Press)


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