Shocking moment an ISIS bomb explodes yards from Iraqi troops in battle for Mosul
Dramatic footage captured as Iraqi troops push deeper into ISIS stronghold of Mosul, Iraq
THIS is the shocking moment an ISIS bomb went off just yards from Iraqi troops and journalists in the city of Mosul.
Dramatic footage on BBC news showed soldiers standing in the back yard of a house in the war-torn city.
As they look out into the street through the back gate, there is suddenly a massive explosion.
There is a bright flash of light and everyone in the shot is sent tumbling to the ground.
A large armoured car packed with explosives slams into the army convoy in the road, killing five soldiers.
Gunfire then erupts as the jihadis launch a fresh attack in the midst of the ensuing confusion.
It takes the soldiers three hours before they are able to contain the attack.
The offensive has slowed in recent days as Iraqi forces have pushed into more densely populated areas where they cannot rely as much on airstrikes and shelling because of the risk to civilians.
“There are a lot of civilians and we are trying to protect them,” said Lt. Col. Muhanad al-Timimi. “This is one of the hardest battles that we’ve faced till now.”
Iraqi forces first entered the eastern edge of the city on Tuesday.
On Friday, forces began pushing into Mosul proper, but so far have advanced just a mile into the city.
They could receive a boost with Sunday’s launch of a long-awaited offensive against the ISIS-held city of Raqqa in northern Syria, the de facto capital of the extremist group’s self-styled caliphate.
That operation, launched by US-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian forces, could force the extremists to split their forces to defend the two largest cities still under their control.
On the southern front of the Mosul battle, Iraqi forces are still some 12 miles from the city centre.
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