<p>As the holy month of Ramadan began, Iraqi forces on May 27 launched a multi-pronged attack against the remaining Islamic State-held (IS) neighborhoods</a> in western Mosul.</p><p>The battle to retake the city from IS forces began in October 2016, with government and Kurdish forces, backed by US-led coalition air support, as well as Shia Muslim militias first retaking the city’s eastern side. In February, an operation to recapture areas west of the Tigris river launched</a>.</p><p>IS forces hold control in a small number of neighborhoods and areas including al-Shifa, Jumhuri Hospital, Zanjili, and Saha. The area includes the Mosul Old City and the Great Mosque</a>, where the IS leader, Abu-Bakr Al-Baghdadi, spoke in 2014 after the city was captured.</p><p>This video shows smoke rising over the city on May 27.</p><br />
