A woman carries her child in one hand and a bag of belongings in the other as she flees western Mosul's Mahata neighborhood. Many civilians are able to grab only a few belongings as they flee ISIS control.
A woman carries her child in one hand and a bag of belongings in the other as she flees western Mosul's Mahata neighborhood. Many civilians are able to grab only a few belongings as they flee ISIS control.
Kareem Khadder/CNN
An Iraqi Rapid Response officer takes a break inside western Mosul's Dawasa neighborhood. Iraqi forces have made big advances inside western Mosul and liberated many of the neighborhoods there since launching an offensive to retake that part of the city last month. ISIS seized Mosul in June 2014.
An Iraqi Rapid Response officer takes a break inside western Mosul's Dawasa neighborhood. Iraqi forces have made big advances inside western Mosul and liberated many of the neighborhoods there since launching an offensive to retake that part of the city last month. ISIS seized Mosul in June 2014.
Kareem Khadder/CNN
Two Iraqi teenagers in western Mosul throw trash into a crater made by a coalition airstrike on ISIS positions.
Two Iraqi teenagers in western Mosul throw trash into a crater made by a coalition airstrike on ISIS positions.
Kareem Khadder/CNN
Two girls hold their little brother as they wait for Iraqi security forces to transfer them to a nearby refugee camp.
Two girls hold their little brother as they wait for Iraqi security forces to transfer them to a nearby refugee camp.
Kareem Khadder/CNN
Um Mohammed, one of the few civilians remaining in western Mosul as fighting rages, stands in front of her house holding her month-old son. She told CNN that her family hid with several others in the basement of her house for 16 days while the battle raged. They lived on cold porridge because there was no running water or electricity in the city. Um Mohammed said she had to give the children sleeping medicine so ISIS wouldn't hear them.
Um Mohammed, one of the few civilians remaining in western Mosul as fighting rages, stands in front of her house holding her month-old son. She told CNN that her family hid with several others in the basement of her house for 16 days while the battle raged. They lived on cold porridge because there was no running water or electricity in the city. Um Mohammed said she had to give the children sleeping medicine so ISIS wouldn't hear them.
Kareem Khadder/CNN
An Iraqi Federal Police officer hugs and kisses the forehead of a woman named Mariam who fled with her family from the Mahata neighborhood early in the morning. Mariam told CNN that ISIS forbade her to smoke, yet their fighters drank alcohol, smoked and took pills. She said anyone caught smoking under ISIS rule was punished, sometimes by having their tongues or fingers cut off.
An Iraqi Federal Police officer hugs and kisses the forehead of a woman named Mariam who fled with her family from the Mahata neighborhood early in the morning. Mariam told CNN that ISIS forbade her to smoke, yet their fighters drank alcohol, smoked and took pills. She said anyone caught smoking under ISIS rule was punished, sometimes by having their tongues or fingers cut off.
Kareem Khadder/CNN
A family from western Mosul flees on foot with the few belongings they were able to carry with them. More than 57,000 people have been displaced since Iraqi forces moved to retake the western part of the city last month, according to the United Nations.
A family from western Mosul flees on foot with the few belongings they were able to carry with them. More than 57,000 people have been displaced since Iraqi forces moved to retake the western part of the city last month, according to the United Nations.
Kareem Khadder/CNN
A boy climbs over a dirt mound near the Mosul airfield. White flags like the one next to him were carried by many families and civilians who fled western Mosul as fighting between Iraqi forces and ISIS raged.
A boy climbs over a dirt mound near the Mosul airfield. White flags like the one next to him were carried by many families and civilians who fled western Mosul as fighting between Iraqi forces and ISIS raged.
Kareem Khadder/CNN