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Watch the British air force throw its might into the battle for Mosul
The ground operation to liberate the city of Mosul from ISIS control kicked off on Sunday, with Iraqi army forces, Peshmerga fighters, and Shiite militias converging on the city and its surroundings.
In support of that operation, a US-led coalition of more than 60 countries has been carrying out airstrikes on ISIS personnel, fighters, infrastructure, and weapons for months.
In an October 17 strike by a British air force Typhoon fighter, a Paveway guided bomb destroys an ISIS vehicle-borne improvised explosive device about 12 miles south of the city. You can see a clip of the strike video below.
ISIS has relied heavily on improvised explosive devices, both static and vehicle borne, during fighting in Iraq. Accordingly, the terrorist group's IEDs and IED factories have been a focus for strikes by the US-led coalition.
Prior to the RAF strike on the vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) south of the city, a coalition strike eliminated an IED factory near Mosul, which is Iraq's second-largest city and the largest Iraqi city still under ISIS control.
Fighting on the ground around Mosul has continued since the operation was launched on October 16, with Iraqi forces and their allies at times encountering heavy resistance. Iraqi and Peshmerga troops faced numerous VBIEDs, IEDs, and mortars near Bartella, a town east of Mosul.
An Iraqi soldier told American journalist Danny Gold there were 10 VBIED attacks in that area.
In September, the US deployed 615 more personnel to assist Iraqi efforts to retake the city, bringing the total number of US troops to more than 5,000.
You can see the full video of the RAF strike near Mosul below.
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