Iraqi special forces take new territory in Mosul

Iraqi special forces took more territory Friday in the battle to regain Mosul from Islamic State (ISIS). The elite Counter Terrorism Service troops spearheading the attack on Mosul say they are holding seized neighborhoods, but progress is slow. “We are facing the most difficult form of urban warfare, fighting with the presence of civilians, but our forces are trained for this sort of combat,” Sabah al-Numani, spokesman for the Counter Terrorism Service, told Reuters. Special forces broke through ISIS defense lines early last week and have faced continuous, close-quarters combat with suicide bombers and snipers. ISIS is reportedly using civilians as cover and killing any suspected informants: 40 people were shot and killed on Tuesday for “treason and collaboration,” and another 20 civilians were killed Wednesday on charges of leaked information, according to a UN report released Friday. ISIS hung their bodies, including five who were crucified, at various traffic intersections.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.