The Battle For The Iraqi City of Mosul -- News Updates February 20, 2017

Reuters: Iraqi forces battle their way toward Mosul airport

U.S.-backed Iraqi forces fought Islamic State fighters on Monday to clear the way to Mosul's airport, on the second day of a ground offensive on the jihadists' remaining stronghold in the western side of the city.

Federal police and elite interior ministry units known as Rapid Response are leading the charge toward the airport, located on the southern limit of the Mosul, trying to dislodge the militants from the nearby hilltop village of Albu Saif.

The Iraqi forces plan is to turn the airport into a close support base for the onslaught into western Mosul itself.

Islamic State militants are essentially under siege in western Mosul, along with an estimated 750,000 civilians, after they were forced out of the eastern part of the city in the first phase of an offensive that concluded last month, after 100 days of fighting.

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The Battle For The Iraqi City of Mosul -- News Updates February 20, 2017

Iraqi troops push into IS-held southern outskirts of Mosul -- AP
Iraqi forces push towards airport in bitter battle to retake west Mosul -- France 24
Mosul offensive: Iraqi army battles for outskirts of IS city. -- BBC
Iraqi forces push into southern outskirts of Mosul -- USA Today
Iraqi forces begin bitter battle for Mosul in effort to destroy Isis -- The Independent
Iraqi forces press on with Mosul operation to oust IS group -- DW
Iraqi forces push into ISIL-held southern Mosul -- Al Jazeera
2 000 IS fighters defending west Mosul: US official -- AFP
Britons fighting on both sides in the battle for Mosul: Elite SAS troops spearhead attack... while British ISIS fanatic carries out suicide bombing in retaliation -- Daily Mail
Iraq’s New Offensive to Retake Mosul 'Unlikely to Feature Lightning Advances' -- Sputnik
350 000 children trapped in west Mosul: Charity -- News24
Aid groups brace for surge of displaced Mosul residents. -- Al Jazeera
UN says civilians at extreme risk as west Mosul offensive begins -- The Guardian
Gritty clashes mark what Iraq hopes will be 'the dawn of a great victory' in Mosul -- Los Angeles Times
The Terrifying ISIS Sleeper Cells of Mosul -- Florian Neuhof, Daily Beast
The Fight to Retake Mosul From ISIS Reaches Perilous New Stage -- TIME
Battle for western Mosul will be toughest fight yet -- Renad Mansour, BBC/Academy Fellow, Chatham House