Elite troops from the Iraqi special forces are leading the charge into Mosul's outer suburbs
THESE harrowing pictures reveal the aftermath of a firefight in Mosul in which elite Iraqi troops wrested control of a suburb from fanatical ISIS jihadis.
A severed jihadi's foot - still in the shoe - is seen covered by flies, while locals plead for the shell of a car used in a suicide bombing to be taken away.
The images were taken at the forefront of the Iraqi advance on the jihadi stronghold, two years after it fell.
"Don't get out of the vehicle. This area is not completely secure [and] I cannot guarantee your safety beyond that point," one of two security contractors’ shouts, pointing past a sign and to Iraqi frontline.
When asked if we have entered Mosul he adds: "Yes we are inside the city. We have just past Gogjale and entered the Hay Al-Karama district of Mosul."
The frontline is extremely close - perhaps 600ft off - with some fighting going on past the main sign.
The nearby houses have also not been cleared of ISIS snipers and any approaching refugee is potentially a hostile.
Back in the main Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) base in the area - besides the local mosque - an Iraqi sniper who overlooks the nearby houses points out where the ISIS positions are located.
"They are over there," he says pointing over the mosque and towards the sound of gunfire and smoke.
Despite the dangers, the mood in the four-story house is ecstatic.
"God willing we will defeat them," another member of the elite unit says, while picking up an ISIS flag. Smiling he adds: "They will not last long in Mosul."
Back outside, two fleeing refugees explain where they have come from.
"We came from over there, near the Iraqi lines [and] there is fighting in Somar," the older of the two boys says, adding, "and there are also a lot of ISIS in the surrounding areas.";
Meanwhile, at the first checkpoints for these incoming refugees the commander of the Hay Al-Karama district explained what happened when they entered Mosul.
"They could not resist us when we approached," the veteran of both battles in Fallujah and Ramadi proudly states, adding, "I killed one of them over there…there is only his foot left."
These Iraqi Special forces are the first units to have managed to enter Mosul.
Other Iraqi fronts, from the south and the northeast, have yet to reach the city outskirts.
However, when they did enter they encountered some strong resistance.
"The only problem came with ISIS and their suicide cars, but, thankfully we have had some help from our [coalition] friends in the air against that," the commander says.
Taking a brief break to supervise some more incoming refugees he then continues: "I believe it will not take long to rid them [ISIS] from Mosul, we are [just] waiting to join up with other [special forces] units and then we will move further into Mosul."
Mosul residents – although mainly welcoming of the Iraqi forces advance – have suffered greatly.
Down on a nearby street a mother and her young son show their half-destroyed house.
"Please take this ISIS car way from our home," the distraught woman, says, to the approaching Iraqi soldiers, adding, "Please, I [still] have my children here."
During the liberation, she had to take cover from both this vehicle and from the barrage of coalition air strikes.
"We had to hide under our blankets until the Iraqi army came," she states.
Despite the dangers of the Iraqi army advance, she – like so many other Mosul residences in the area – are deeply grateful that they are no longer under the control of the jihadists.
Hugging her son she says, "but, we are thankful…[and] give all the Iraqi army a thousand thanks for liberating us from Daesh."
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368.
