Iraqi special forces advance to within a mile of Mosul’s border

A member of the Iraqi special forces Counter Terrorism Service patrols in Mosul’s al-Jazair neighbourhood as they look for Islamic State fighters on Jan. 17, 2017.

Iraqis walk past an Islamic State sign in the newly liberated part of eastern Mosul on Jan. 17, 2017.

Traces of jets mark the sky above eastern Mosul during an ongoing military operation against the Islamic State on Jan. 17, 2017.

Members of the Iraqi special forces Counter Terrorism Service patrol in Mosul’s al-Jazair neighbourhood as they look for Islamic State fighters on Jan. 17, 2017.

An Iraqi special forces soldier from the medical unit carries an injured boy who was wounded by a mortar shell in al-Tahrir neighborhood in Mosul on Nov. 23, 2016.

A member of the Iraqi Christian forces Kataeb Babylon stands guard beneath a cross at the Mar Benham Syriac Catholic monastery in the town of Khidr Ilyas, southeast of Mosul, on Nov. 22, 2016.

Soldiers from the Iraqi Special Forces fly a small drone from a roof to look for Islamic State fighters hiding themselves in the Aden district of Mosul as they secure the area on Nov. 22, 2016.

Stars shine in the sky as flames and smoke rise from a burning oil well on Nov. 19, 2016, in the Iraqi town of Qayyarah.

Children play football as oil wells, set ablaze by retreating Islamic State jihadists, burn behind them in the town of Qayyarah on Nov. 20, 2016.

The sun cuts through the smoke as an Iraqi soldier walks into the center of a burning oil wells, set ablaze by retreating Islamic State jihadists, while guarding the men tasked with putting out the fire in the town of Qayyarah, some 43 miles south of Mosul, on Nov. 20, 2016.

In this Nov. 6, 2016, file photo, displaced people walk past a checkpoint near Qayara, south of Mosul, Iraq. As the operation to retake Mosul enters its second month Iraqi forces are preparing for prolonged, grueling urban combat as they slow the tempo of their operation, advancing just a few hundred meters at a time. The individual tactics employed by IS mirror past fights with the group, but the sheer scale of IS defenses and counterattacks in Mosul has overwhelmed Iraq’s military.(AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)

The body of 19-year-old Berzan Ibrahim Khelil, who was killed by a mortar during fighting between the Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants is carried to a cemetery on a cart by his cousin in Mosul, Iraq, on Nov. 17, 2016. As the operation to retake Mosul enters its second month Iraqi forces are preparing for prolonged, grueling urban combat as they slow the tempo of their operation, advancing just a few hundred meters at a time. The individual tactics employed by IS mirror past fights with the group, but the sheer scale of IS defenses and counterattacks in Mosul has overwhelmed Iraq’s military.

In this Oct. 25, 2016, file photo, a handcuffed suspected Islamic State militant sits outside his house as Iraq’s elite counterterrorism forces fight against Islamic State militants, in the village of Tob Zawa, about 9 kilometers (5 1/2 miles) from Mosul, Iraq. As the operation to retake Mosul enters its second month Iraqi forces are preparing for prolonged, grueling urban combat as they slow the tempo of their operation, advancing just a few hundred meters at a time. The individual tactics employed by IS mirror past fights with the group, but the sheer scale of IS defenses and counterattacks in Mosul has overwhelmed Iraq’s military.

In this Oct. 19, 2016, file photo, Iraqi army soldiers man a checkpoint as oil wells burn on the outskirts of Qayyarah, Iraq. As the operation to retake Mosul enters its second month Iraqi forces are preparing for prolonged, grueling urban combat as they slow the tempo of their operation, advancing just a few hundred meters at a time. The individual tactics employed by IS mirror past fights with the group, but the sheer scale of IS defenses and counterattacks in Mosul has overwhelmed Iraq’s military.

In this Nov. 1, 2016, file photo, displaced people stand on the back of a truck at a checkpoint near Qayara, south of Mosul, Iraq. As the operation to retake Mosul enters its second month Iraqi forces are preparing for prolonged, grueling urban combat as they slow the tempo of their operation, advancing just a few hundred meters at a time. The individual tactics employed by IS mirror past fights with the group, but the sheer scale of IS defenses and counterattacks in Mosul has overwhelmed Iraq’s military.

In this Nov. 8, 2016, file photo, Iraqis displaced by fighting in Mosul line up for food distribution at a camp for internally displaced people in Hassan Sham, Iraq. As the operation to retake Mosul enters its second month Iraqi forces are preparing for prolonged, grueling urban combat as they slow the tempo of their operation, advancing just a few hundred meters at a time. The individual tactics employed by IS mirror past fights with the group, but the sheer scale of IS defenses and counterattacks in Mosul has overwhelmed Iraq’s military.

In this Nov. 2, 2016, file photo, a man kisses an Iraqi special forces soldier after his house was searched, in Gogjali, an eastern district of Mosul, Iraq. As the operation to retake Mosul enters its second month Iraqi forces are preparing for prolonged, grueling urban combat as they slow the tempo of their operation, advancing just a few hundred meters at a time. The individual tactics employed by IS mirror past fights with the group, but the sheer scale of IS defenses and counterattacks in Mosul has overwhelmed Iraq’s military.

In this Nov. 16, 2016, file photo, a car bomb explodes next to Iraqi special forces armored vehicles as they advance towards Islamic State held territory in Mosul, Iraq. As the operation to retake Mosul enters its second month Iraqi forces are preparing for prolonged, grueling urban combat as they slow the tempo of their operation, advancing just a few hundred meters at a time. The individual tactics employed by IS mirror past fights with the group, but the sheer scale of IS defenses and counterattacks in Mosul has overwhelmed Iraq’s military.

In this Oct. 26, 2016, file photo, an Iraqi Federal Police vehicle passes through a checkpoint in Qayara, some 31 miles, 50 km, south of Mosul, Iraq. As the operation to retake Mosul enters its second month Iraqi forces are preparing for prolonged, grueling urban combat as they slow the tempo of their operation, advancing just a few hundred meters at a time. The individual tactics employed by IS mirror past fights with the group, but the sheer scale of IS defenses and counterattacks in Mosul has overwhelmed Iraq’s military.

In this Nov. 4, 2016, file photo, Iraqi special forces soldiers move in formation in an alley on the outskirts of Mosul, Iraq. As the operation to retake Mosul enters its second month Iraqi forces are preparing for prolonged, grueling urban combat as they slow the tempo of their operation, advancing just a few hundred meters at a time. The individual tactics employed by IS mirror past fights with the group, but the sheer scale of IS defenses and counterattacks in Mosul has overwhelmed Iraq’s military.

In this Oct. 19, 2016, file photo, Iraqi special forces advance towards the city of Mosul, Iraq. As the operation to retake Mosul enters its second month Iraqi forces are preparing for prolonged, grueling urban combat as they slow the tempo of their operation, advancing just a few hundred meters at a time. The individual tactics employed by IS mirror past fights with the group, but the sheer scale of IS defenses and counterattacks in Mosul has overwhelmed Iraq’s military.

In this Nov. 12, 2016, file photo, a Nineveh Plain Protection Units, or NPU, fighter checks items left in a shooting range used by Islamic State militants in the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Qaraqosh, east of Mosul, Iraq. As the operation to retake Mosul enters its second month Iraqi forces are preparing for prolonged, grueling urban combat as they slow the tempo of their operation, advancing just a few hundred meters at a time. The individual tactics employed by IS mirror past fights with the group, but the sheer scale of IS defenses and counterattacks in Mosul has overwhelmed Iraq’s military.

In this Oct. 26, 2016, file photo, Iraqi army soldiers rest at a checkpoint in Qayara, some 50 kilometers south of Mosul, Iraq. As the operation to retake Mosul enters its second month Iraqi forces are preparing for prolonged, grueling urban combat as they slow the tempo of their operation, advancing just a few hundred meters at a time. The individual tactics employed by IS mirror past fights with the group, but the sheer scale of IS defenses and counterattacks in Mosul has overwhelmed Iraq’s military.

In this Nov. 4, 2016, file photo, displaced men queue to receive food after arriving in the Hassan Sham camp, east of Mosul, Iraq. As the operation to retake Mosul enters its second month Iraqi forces are preparing for prolonged, grueling urban combat as they slow the tempo of their operation, advancing just a few hundred meters at a time. The individual tactics employed by IS mirror past fights with the group, but the sheer scale of IS defenses and counterattacks in Mosul has overwhelmed Iraq’s military.

In this Oct. 24, 2016, file photo, Iraq’s elite counterterrorism forces prepare to attack Islamic State positions as fighting to retake the extremist-held city of Mosul enters its second week, in the village of Tob Zawa, outside Mosul. As the operation to retake Mosul enters its second month Iraqi forces are preparing for prolonged, grueling urban combat as they slow the tempo of their operation, advancing just a few hundred meters at a time. The individual tactics employed by IS mirror past fights with the group, but the sheer scale of IS defenses and counterattacks in Mosul has overwhelmed Iraq’s military.

In this Nov. 9, 2016, file photo, firefighters work at the site of an oil well fire in Qayara, some 31 miles (50 km) south of Mosul, Iraq. As the operation to retake Mosul enters its second month Iraqi forces are preparing for prolonged, grueling urban combat as they slow the tempo of their operation, advancing just a few hundred meters at a time. The individual tactics employed by IS mirror past fights with the group, but the sheer scale of IS defenses and counterattacks in Mosul has overwhelmed Iraq’s military.

In this Nov. 14, 2016, file photo, Iraqi army soldiers fire mortars against the Islamic State militants, at Shahrazad village 2 miles (3 kilometers) east of Mosul, Iraq. As the operation to retake Mosul enters its second month Iraqi forces are preparing for prolonged, grueling urban combat as they slow the tempo of their operation, advancing just a few hundred meters at a time. The individual tactics employed by IS mirror past fights with the group, but the sheer scale of IS defenses and counterattacks in Mosul has overwhelmed Iraq’s military.

Iraqi Special Forces 2nd division soldiers come under fire from Islamic State fighters while running across an intersection as they try to push forward in the Karkukli neighborhood of Mosul on Nov. 13, 2016.

An Iraqi Special Forces 2nd division soldier fires toward Islamic State fighters as comrades take up positions on the roof of a house in the Karkukli neighborhood of Mosul on Nov. 13, 2016.

A soldier from the Iraqi Special Forces 2nd division crouches as he takes up a position while his comrades take cover behind a wall on a rooftop as they come under fire from Islamic State in the Karkukli neighborhood of Mosul on Nov. 13, 2016.

Members of the Iraqi forces stand on their BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles as they hold a position in the village of Jarif, some 28 miles south of Mosul, on Nov. 12, 2016, after retaking it from Islamic State.

Members of the Iraqi forces stand on their BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles as they hold a position in the village of Jarif, some 28 miles south of Mosul, on Nov. 12, 2016, after retaking it from Islamic State.

In this Monday, Nov. 7, 2016 frame grab from video, an Iraqi federal police officer walks towards a mass grave in Hamam al-Alil, Iraq.

In this Monday, Nov. 7, 2016 frame grab from video, an Iraqi federal police officer holds a stuffed toy at the site of a mass grave in Hamam al-Alil, Iraq.

In this Monday, Nov. 7, 2016 frame grab from video, an Iraqi federal police officer holds his nose as he points towards a mass grave in Hamam al-Alil, Iraq.

In this Monday, Nov. 7, 2016 frame grab from video, an Iraqi federal police officer points towards a mass grave in Hamam al-Alil, Iraq.

Iraqi army soldiers fire an artillery round at Islamic State positions in Bartilla, about 9 miles east of Mosul, Iraq, on Nov. 7, 2016.

A soldier from the Iraqi army’s 9th armoured division aims his weapon as they move around the Al-Intissar neighborhood of Mosul on Nov. 7, 2016.

The sun rises as smoke billows after an airstrike on Islamic State positions in Bashiqa, east of Mosul, Iraq, on Nov. 7, 2016.

An Iraqi army soldier from the 9th armoured division cleans his machine gun with a brush in the area of Ali Rash, adjacent to the eastern Al-Intissar neighborhood of Mosul, on Nov. 6, 2016.

Iraqi army soldiers from the 9th armoured division on a truck flash the sign of victory as they drive back from Mosul to the town of Qaraqosh (also known as Hamdaniya), on Nov. 6, 2016.

A soldier from the Iraqi army’s 9th armoured division fires his heavy machine gun at a suspect car approaching their position in the area of Ali Rash, adjacent to the eastern Al-Intissar neighborhood of Mosul, on Nov. 6, 2016.

Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers fire artillery at Islamic State positions in Bashiqa, east of Mosul, Iraq, on Nov. 7, 2016.

Soldiers from the Iraqi army 9th armoured division greet residents as bodies of Islamic State fighters litter a street in the eastern Al-Intissar neighborhood of Mosul on Nov. 6, 2016.

An Iraqi army sniper from the 9th armoured division walks to take his position in the area of Ali Rash, adjacent to the eastern Al-Intissar neighborhood of Mosul, on Nov. 6, 2016.

Soldiers from the Iraqi army’s 9th armored division flash the V-sign as they walk along a street in the Al-Intissar neighborhood of Mosul on Nov. 7, 2016.

An Iraqi special forces soldier screams while being treated for injuries in Gogjali, on the eastern edges of Mosul, Iraq, on Nov. 6, 2016.

Iraqi security forces take part in an operation against Islamic State militants in Hammam Al-Alil town, south of Mosul, Iraq, on Nov. 5, 2016.

Iraqi army soldiers walk by the river near a bridge destroyed by an airstrike in Qayara, south of Mosul, Iraq, on Nov. 5, 2016.

Shiite fighters from the Hashed al-Shaabi enter the village of Abu Shuwayhah, south of Mosul, on Nov. 1, 2016.

An Iraqi soldier takes position in the village of Gogjali, a few hundred yards from Mosul’s eastern edge, as clashes go on between Iraqi army forces and Islamic State on Nov. 2, 2016.

A woman waves to Iraq soldiers in the village of Gogjali, a few hundred yards from Mosul’s eastern edge, as clashes go on between Iraqi army forces and Islamic State on Nov. 2, 2016.

An Iraqi soldier holds a position in the village of Gogjali, a few hundred yards from Mosul’s eastern edge, as clashes go on between Iraqi army forces and Islamic State on Nov. 2, 2016.

An Iraqi soldier shakes hands with a boy as civilians take shelter inside a mosque in the village of Gogjali, a few hundred yards from Mosul’s eastern edge, on Nov. 2, 2016.

Iraqi soldiers pose with an Islamic State flag as they hold a position in the village of Gogjali, a few hundred yards from Mosul’s eastern edge, on Nov. 2, 2016.

A man rides his bike on a street as smoke rises from burning oil fields in Qayara, some 30 miles south of Mosul, Iraq, on Oct. 31, 2016.

An Iraqi boy who was displaced from the village of Abu Shuwayhah, south of the jihadist-held Mosul, walks carrying a white flag as locals return to their village following the arrival of Iraqi forces on Nov. 1, 2016.

Iraqi soldiers carry coffins of comrades from the Popular Mobilization Forces militia, who were killed in car bombing during operation to liberate Mosul, at the funeral procession in Najaf, Iraq, on Nov. 1, 2016.

Iraqi army soldiers guard the last government controlled checkpoint south of Mosul, Iraq, on Nov. 1, 2016.

Displaced people stand on the back of a truck at a checkpoint near Qayara south of Mosul, Iraq, on Nov. 1, 2016.

Iraqi soldiers warm themselves next to a fire near the Qayara air base,south of Mosul, Iraq, on Nov. 1, 2016.

An Iraqi army soldier rests on a mattress in the last government controlled checkpoint south of Mosul, Iraq, on Nov. 1, 2016.

Shiite fighters from the Hashed al-Shaabi flash the sign of victory from the back of a truck as they drive toward the village of Umm Sijan, south of Mosul, on Oct. 31, 2016 during Iraqi forces’ operation to recapture the city from Islamic State.

Members of an Iraqi Shiite militia take up positions during a campaign against the Islamic State in the formerly IS-held town of Zarka, some 12 miles west of Mosul, Iraq, on Oct. 31, 2016.

Iraqi forces take up position near a road that leads to Mosul, Iraq, on Oct. 31, 2016.

Smoke rises from burning oil fields damaged during the fighting between Iraqi forces and Islamic State fighters in Qayara, some 31 miles south of Mosul, Iraq, on Oct. 31, 2016.

An Iraqi special forces soldier smokes a cigarette in the village of Bazwaya, some 5 miles from the center of Mosul, Iraq, on Oct. 31, 2016.

Shiite fighters from the Hashed al-Shaabi prepare missiles to hit Islamic State positions as they head to the village of Umm Sijan, south of Mosul, on Oct. 31, 2016.

Shiite fighters from the Hashed al-Shaabi advance toward the village of Salmani, south of Mosul, on Oct. 30, 2016 during the ongoing battle against Islamic State to liberate the city of Mosul.

Shiite fighters from the Hashed al-Shaabi launch missiles on the village of Salmani, south of Mosul, on Oct. 30, 2016, during the ongoing battle against Islamic State to liberate the city of Mosul.

Shiite fighters from the Hashed al-Shaabi rest during their advance toward the village of Salmani, south of Mosul, on Oct. 30, 2016, during the battle against Islamic State to liberate the city of Mosul.

Shiite fighters from the Hashed al-Shaabi advance toward the village of Salmani, south of Mosul, on Oct. 30, 2016, during the ongoing battle against Islamic State to liberate the city of Mosul.

An Iraqi army soldier fires his rifle in the town of Shura, some 18 miles south of Mosul, Iraq, on Oct. 29, 2016.

An Iraqi Federal Police officer watches as air and ground strikes hit the town of Shura, some 18 miles south of Mosul, Iraq, on Oct. 29, 2016.

A member of Iraqi armed forces kisses a local boy after Iraqi forces entered the town of Shura, some 18 miles south of Mosul, Iraq, on Oct. 29, 2016.

Iraqi families displaced by the ongoing operation by Iraqi forces to retake the city of Mosul are seen between Makhmour and Qayyarah as they flee Oct. 29, 2016.

An Iraqi woman and children collect wood and metal at a site that was targeted by an airstrike in Qayyarah south of Mosul on Oct. 29, 2016.

A Shiite militia member patrols in the village of Ayn Nasir, south of Mosul, on Oct. 29, 2016, after recapturing it from Islamic State group jihadists.

Iraqi forces and Shiite militia members drive an armored vehicle in the advance towards the village of Ayn Nasir, south of Mosul, on Oct. 29, 2016.

A Shiite fighter flashes a “‘V’ for victory” sign in the village of Ayn Nasir, south of Mosul, on Oct. 29, 2016, after recapturing it from Islamic State group jihadists.

Iraqi forces and Shiite militia members advance towards the village of Ayn Nasir, south of Mosul, on Oct. 29, 2016.

An Iraqi forces tank deploys towards the village of Ayn Nasir, south of Mosul, on Oct. 29, 2016.

Soldiers give first aid to a boy injured during clashes between Iraq’s elite counterterrorism forces and Islamic State militiants in the village of Tob Zawa, about 5 1/2 miles from Mosul, Iraq, on Oct. 25, 2016.

Iraqi families, who were displaced by the ongoing operation by Iraqi forces against Islamic State group to retake the city of Mosul, are seen gathering near Qayyarah on Oct. 24, 2016.

An Iraqi man reacts as families, who were displaced by the ongoing operation by Iraqi forces to retake the city of Mosul from Islamic State, wait for food near Qayyarah on Oct. 24, 2016.

Iraqi families, displaced by the ongoing operation by Iraqi forces to retake the city of Mosul from Islamic State, receive food near Qayyarah on Oct. 24, 2016.

Destruction is seen Oct. 24, 2016, in the Christian Iraqi town of Bartella, about 10 miles east of Mosul, after Iraqi forces retook control of the town from jihadists of the Islamic State group.

A member of the Iraqi forces holds a position at the al-Shura area south of Mosul on Oct. 24, 2016, during an operation to retake the city from Islamic State.

An Iraqi child looks on as families who were displaced by the ongoing operation by Iraqi forces against Islamic State to retake the city of Mosul gather near Qayyarah on Oct. 24, 2016.

Iraq’s elite counterterrorism forces advance toward Islamic State positions as fighting to retake the extremist-held city of Mosul enters its second week in the village of Tob Zawa on Oct. 24, 2016.

Iraq’s elite counterterrorism forces prepare to attack Islamic State positions as fighting to retake the extremist-held city of Mosul enters its second week in the village of Tob Zawa on Oct. 24, 2016.

Iraqi government forces raise their national flag as they enter the village of al-Khuwayn, south of Mosul, after recapturing it from Islamic State on Oct. 23, 2016.

A member of the Iraqi government forces smokes a cigarette as he rests in the village of al-Khuwayn, south of Mosul, after recapturing it from Islamic State on Oct. 23, 2016.

Iraqi forces fire artillery shells towards the nearby village of Zalhafa from their position on the outskirts of the village of al-Khuwayn, south of Mosul, after recapturing it from Islamic State on Oct. 23, 2016.

An Iraqi forces member wears a gas mask as smoke billows in the background after Islamic State jihadists torched the Mishraq sulphur factory near the Qayyarah base, about 19 miles south of Mosul, during an operation to retake the main city from IS on Oct. 22, 2016.

Shiite fighters from the Popular Mobilization Forces arrive in an area south of Mosul on Oct. 22, 2016, during an operation to retake the city from Islamic State.

Arabic that reads “Property belonging to Islamic State” is written on a house of a Christian man in the town of Bartella, Iraq, on Oct. 22, 2016.

A displaced Iraqi woman carries a child as they arrive at a refugee camp on Oct. 22, 2016, in the town of Qayyarah, south of Mosul.

An Iraqi forces member helps a displaced man push a car as they arrive at refugee camp on Oct. 22, 2016, in the town of Qayyarah, south of Mosul.

Displaced Iraqi families arrive at a checkpoint east of Mosul as they flea areas of unrest on Oct. 22, 2016, during an operation by the Iraqi army to retake the city from Islamic State.

A Sunni fighter from the Popular Mobilization Forces is welcomed by a an Iraqi man at a checkpoint east of Mosul on Oct. 22, 2016, during an operation to retake the city from Islamic State.

A member of the Iraqi forces wearing a gas mask for protection gestures near Mishraq sulphur factory, near the Qayyarah base, about 19 miles south of Mosul, during an operation to retake the city from IS on Oct. 22, 2016.

Tents are pictured Oct. 22, 2016, in Debaga refugee camp where people displaced by fighting in and around Mosul have sought shelter in Iraq.

A member of the Iraqi armed forces adjusts his mask on Oct. 21, 2016, as troops arrive at the front line on the outskirts of Qayyarah, about 15 miles south of Mosul, during an operation to retake Mosul from Islamic State.

Smoke billows from an explosion in houses near the village of Tall al-Tibah, some 15 miles south of Mosul, during an Iraqi forces operation Oct. 21, 2016, to retake Mosul from Islamic State.

Iraqi troops guard a checkpoint near the village of Awsaja, Iraq, as smoke from fires lit by Islamic State militants at oil wells and a sulfur plant fills the air Oct. 22, 2016.

Iraqi and Kurdish forces hold an Islamic State flag found in the town of Bartella, Iraq, on Oct. 22, 2016.

The inside of the church of St. Shmoni, damaged by Islamic State fighters, in Bartella, Iraq, on Oct. 22, 2016. Iraqi forces retook the town of Bartella, about 7 miles east of Mosul, earlier in the week.

Members of the Iraqi Special Forces hold a cross found in the town of Bartella, Iraq, on Oct. 22, 2016, after they retook the town from Islamic State fighters.

Iraqi troops guard a checkpoint near the village of Awsaja, Iraq, as smoke rises from fires lit by Islamic State militants at oil wells and a sulfur plant on Oct. 22, 2016. U.S. military officials say that a fire at the sulfur plant in northern Iraq is creating a potential breathing hazard for American forces and other troops at a logistical base south of Mosul.

A child stands near a sign showing different kinds of explosive devices at a gate of the Debaka refugee camp, on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq, on Oct. 22, 2016. According to a local official in Debaka, the camp hosts 31,000 people who fled from many villages near Mosul and Kirkuk due to the fighting between Iraqi forces and Islamic State.

Iraqi forces ride on the back of a vehicle as troops advance through the desert on the banks of the Tigris River on Oct. 20, 2016, during operations against Islamic State.

Iraqi forces ride on the back of a vehicle as troops advance through the desert on the banks of the Tigris River on Oct. 20, 2016, during operations against Islamic State.

A Kurdish Peshmerga soldier covers his ears as Yunis Abrurrahman, 26, gets ready to fire an artillery round on Islamic State positions in Nawaran, some 10 miles northeast of Mosul, on Oct. 20, 2016.

Kurdish Peshmerga fighters outside the town of Bashiqa, about 10 miles northeast of Mosul, during operations against Islamic State on Oct. 20, 2016.

Kurdish Peshmerga fighters fire a rocket launcher from a position in Sheikh Ali village, about 10 miles northeast of Mosul, on Oct. 20, 2016, during operations against Islamic State.

Iraqi forces fire a howitzer towards the village of Al-Muftuya from a position in Kani al-Harami, about 10 miles outside Mosull, on Oct. 19, 2016.

An Iraq howitzer fires towards the village of Tall al-Tibah, some about 15 miles south of Mosul, on Oct. 19, 2016.

Iraqi villagers walk past an oil fire about 35 miles south of Mosul, on Oct. 19, 2016, during an operation by Iraqi forces to retake the town from Islamic State militants.

A man takes a selfie in front of an oil fire about 35 miles south of Mosul, on Oct. 19, 2016, during an operation by Iraqi forces to retake the town from Islamic State militants.

Displaced people flee their homes during clashes between Iraqi security forces and members of the Islamic State group fleeing Mosul, Iraq, on Oct. 19, 2016.

A Iraqi soldier looks on as smoke billows from oil fires about 35 miles south of Mosul, on Oct. 19, 2016, during an operation by Iraqi forces to retake the town from Islamic State militants.

Iraqi soldiers look on as smoke rises from oil fires about 35 miles south of Mosul, on Oct. 19, 2016, during an operation by Iraqi forces to retake the town from Islamic State militants.

Smoke rises from Islamic state positions after an airstrike by coalition forces in Mosul, Iraq, on Oct. 18, 2016.

Iraqi forces deploy in the Bajwaniyah village, about 19 miles south of Mosul, on Oct. 18, 2016, after they liberated it from Islamic State jihadists.

An Iraqi forces member dressed in a camouflage outfit walks in Bajwaniyah village, about 19 miles south of Mosul, on Oct. 18, 2016.

Iraqi forces battle against Islamic State jihadists in Bajwaniyah, about 19 miles south of Mosul on Oct. 18, 2016, as they advance to liberate Mosul.

Smoke rises from Islamic State positions after an airstrike by coalition forces in Khazer, about 19 miles east of Mosul, Iraq, on Oct. 17, 2016.

A U.S. Army soldier watches a helicopter belonging to the international coalition forces land on a base outside Mosul, Iraq, on Oct. 19, 2016.

Iraqi army soldiers man a checkpoint as oil wells burn on the outskirts of Qayyarah, Iraq, on Oct. 19, 2016.

Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighters hold a position on the top of Mount Zardak, about 15 miles east of Mosul, on Oct. 17, 2016.