Military.com reports that “Iraqi and Kurdish Peshmerga forces backed by U.S. air, artillery and forward air controller support began the battle for Mosul on Monday and gained ground in the drive for the city where the Islamic State declared the creation of a “Caliphate” more than two years ago.”

“‘The thousands of ground combat forces who will liberate Mosul are all Iraqis,’ but they were supported by ‘a wide range of coalition capabilities, including air support, artillery, intelligence, advisers and forward air controllers,’ said Army Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander of Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve.”

“The operation to retake Iraq’s second-largest city, where as many as one million civilians remain under the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, ‘will likely continue for weeks, possibly longer,’ Townsend said in a video statement.”