Iraqi forces advance in Mosul Old City

MOSUL: Iraqi forces said on Tuesday they were fighting fierce battles with the IS group and rescuing escaping civilians as they pursued their offensive against Mosul’s Old City. Staff Lieutenant General Abdulghani al Assadi, a senior commander in the Counter-Terrorism Service, said the battle was proceeding as expected but that progress was slow. “Things are good and the battle is going as planned,” he said. “We have many obstacles — the nature of the land, the nature of the construction, the roads and the civilian population — all of which make us slow down our work.”