Islamic fighters strongly defended their remaining stronghold in the Old City of Mosul. However, the intensity of the fight has gone down compared to Sunday, when the assault started. On Sunday, Iraq forces announced the beginning of the attack on the Old City.
Fierce resistance from IS militants
Iraqi forces are facing a fierce resistance from the Islamic state militants in Mosul. Iraqi forces are trying to seize IS stronghold in the Old City. According to BBC, one commander said that the Jihadists had blocked all entrances to the area, thus making it difficult to break their defense.
According to UN, IS militants are using people as human shields. UN says that more than 100,000 people are believed to be under captive. An attempt to retake Mosul was launched by pro-government forces in October with assistance from a US-led coalition.
The force was able to seize the Eastern side of the City in January. An attack on the Western side started in February. The beginning of the last chapter started on Sunday, as stated by the commanders. Federal Police, Counter-Terrorism Service, and the Police have launched attacks to the Old City from all directions.
According to BBC, the army reportedly believes that there are less than 300 militants left in Mosul. Initially, there were about 6,000 militants, at the start of the invasion.
Reports by BBC indicate that, on Monday, General Maan al-Saadi of the Counter-Terrorism Service informed AFP that his troops had made significant progress, although the resistance had been severe.
Iraq-based Journalists Freedoms Observatory said that Iraq Kurdish journalist Bakhtiyar Haddad was killed and three French journalists were injured by a bomb in the Old City while they were reporting.
Dr. Julia Schurch, an emergency room specialist said: “For a heart-breaking great number, it was just too late; they pass on soon after reaching us.”
Most civilians are trapped inside the Old City
Most civilians are still confined inside the Old City. The International Rescue Team, an aid group, issued a caution on Sunday that this would be "a terrifying time" for civilians confined in the Old City.
The Iraq forces will heavily depend on air strikes, despite the difficulty in identifying civilians who take refuge in buildings.
On Sunday, General Saad told State TV that the troops were trying to be very cautious applying only light and medium weapons to avoid civilian fatalities. The IRC cautioned that civilians trying to escape the battle are likely to face the consequences of the crossfire.
