The Battle To Retake Mosul Continues In Iraq

Iraq’s elite counterterrorism forces advance toward Islamic State positions in the village of Tob Zawa, about 9 kilometers (5½ miles) from Mosul, Iraq, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016. Iraqi forces battled Islamic State fighters for a third day in a remote western town far from Mosul on Tuesday, but the U.S.-led coalition insisted the latest in a series of “spoiler attacks” had not forced it to divert resources from the fight to retake Iraq’s second-largest city.
Iraq's elite counterterrorism forces advance toward Islamic State positions in the village of Tob Zawa, about 9 kilometers (5½ miles) from Mosul, Iraq, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016. Iraqi forces battled Islamic State fighters for a third day in a remote western town far from Mosul on Tuesday, but the U.S.-led coalition insisted the latest in a series of "spoiler attacks" had not forced it to divert resources from the fight to retake Iraq's second-largest city. Khalid Mohammed / AP Photo
Iraq’s elite counterterrorism forces advance toward Islamic State positions in the village of Tob Zawa, about 9 kilometers (5½ miles) from Mosul, Iraq, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016. Iraqi forces battled Islamic State fighters for a third day in a remote western town far from Mosul on Tuesday, but the U.S.-led coalition insisted the latest in a series of “spoiler attacks” had not forced it to divert resources from the fight to retake Iraq’s second-largest city.
Iraq's elite counterterrorism forces advance toward Islamic State positions in the village of Tob Zawa, about 9 kilometers (5½ miles) from Mosul, Iraq, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016. Iraqi forces battled Islamic State fighters for a third day in a remote western town far from Mosul on Tuesday, but the U.S.-led coalition insisted the latest in a series of "spoiler attacks" had not forced it to divert resources from the fight to retake Iraq's second-largest city. Khalid Mohammed / AP Photo

The Battle To Retake Mosul Continues In Iraq

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The battle to retake control of Mosul from ISIS is still underway. Iraqi troops, along with Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and other militia have been met with strong resistance by the ISIS fighters.

For more on the military offensive and the politics involved in the battle, we turn to Laith Saud, visiting assistant professor of religious studies at DePaul University. He co-authored the book, An Introduction to Islam in the 21st Century.