March 24, 2017 Issue

Mosul, Iraq—A man carries his daughter toward Iraqi soldiers on March 4. Iraqi forces, aided by American airstrikes, are trying to wrench the western part of the city from the Islamic State group. The fighting has been fierce, as ISIS, vastly outnumbered—and already overrun in the eastern part of the city—is using snipers and mortar rounds to maintain control of its last Iraqi stronghold. Meanwhile, more than half a million civilians are reportedly trapped in territory still controlled by the militants, as Iraqi forces prepare to enter a part of the old city, where the battles are expected to be especially brutal due to the close quarters.