"There are more than 700,000 civilians trapped in Mosul. ISIS prevents them from leaving. And even if they could leave, Iraqi forces have cut off the exits to stop ISIS fighters from escaping. And ISIS has turned to new tactics suited to urban warfare. Saadi says the group is using small commercially available drones to track him and other commanders so they can target them with snipers and suicide bombs. ISIS uses bigger drones to carry explosives." - National Public Radio (USA)

The battle for Mosul began three months ago. The US-coalition made quick advances through Mosul's outlying towns, as Islamic State fighters made a strategic withdrawal. Now the fighting is real urban warfare, just as it was in Aleppo, Syria. If anything, the Islamic State fighters are even better prepared than the terrorist groups of Aleppo.