Continued Assault by Iraqi Army on ISIS in Urban Areas of Mosul

A senior Iraqi army official told the Associated Press that the assault by special forces in urban areas of Mosul continues, with missile and mortar attacks ongoing in the eastern regions. Hours before the Associated Press report, Iraqi forces entered urban areas of Mosul for the first time since the city was occupied by the group known as the 'Islamic State', marking the beginning of significant battles between them and ISIS members. Major General Tahseen Ibrahim, spokesperson for the Iraqi Ministry of Defense, stated to CNN that military forces have launched an assault on the Intisar area in eastern Mosul. Colonel Mohammed al-Tamimi told the Associated Press on November 14 that special army forces have targeted ISIS militants in the Aden, Tahrir, and Quds areas with artillery and missile attacks. The Iraqi army and Kurdish Peshmerga forces, with support from the US-led coalition, have launched attacks on extremist militants in Mosul from almost all sides. Recently, Shiite militants also announced their intention to join the battles, heading towards the western areas of the city. More than one million people remain in Mosul, and the Iraqi army and its allies are striving to advance in reclaiming urban areas with minimal civilian casualties, despite reports of ISIS using militants as human shields. "10,000 children have been displaced so far," the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reports that nearly 10,000 children have been displaced during the Mosul operations, having left their homes and are in need of "immediate assistance." According to UNICEF, a total of 20,000 residents of Mosul and its surroundings have been forced to leave their homes since the battles began, half of whom are children. Pernille Ironside, UNICEF's director of operations in Iraq, stated that she met with some of the displaced, and they could not believe they had survived the battles: "It was clear they had endured a lot of hardships." Families arriving at centers known as 'screening' must stay for half a day before being transferred to established camps. Citizens at these centers receive food and water, and children aged six months to 15 years are vaccinated against polio and measles.