Iraqi forces gain foothold in northwest Mosul after surprise new push

By Isabel Coles HULAYLA, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi forces pushed further into Mosul from the north on the second day of a new push to speed up the nearly seven-month attempt to dislodge Islamic State, commanders said on Friday. Islamic State tried to block the troops' northerly advance into their de facto Iraqi capital with suicide car bombs and sniper fire, Brigadier General Walid Khalifa, deputy commander of the 9th brigade, told Reuters in Hulayla, west of Musherfa. U.S. air support has proved vital for spotting suicide car bombs and for avoiding targets where civilians are trapped.
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