CNN News:伊拉克拉响收复摩苏尔之战 或将重创ISIS

First story centers on a battle that's begun in the Middle Eastern nation of Iraq. You've heard us talk a lot about the ISIS terrorist group. ISIS is an acronym for Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, and that's what they've been trying to create.
But right now, ISIS is fighting to hold on to the Iraqi city of Mosul, which they took over in 2014. And if ISIS loses Mosul, it could signal the beginning of the end for ISIS in Iraq.
The battle started early Monday morning. Iraq's military says it inflicted heavy losses of life and equipment on ISIS in an area southeast of the city. Iraqi troops are leading a coalition of other groups in trying to push ISIS out. Hundreds of U.S. troops are also involved, though the Pentagon says they're not on the front line. And the forces that are can call in air support when they meet with tough resistance from the terrorist.
One terrorism expert says the major challenge of this battle will be avoiding hurting Mosul's civilians while overpowering ISIS's defenses.
They've had months to prepare for this. But international officials say there's no doubt the fight is an important one.
首先来关注中东国家伊拉克的一场战役。我们报道了很多有关恐怖组织ISIS的消息。ISIS是“伊拉克和叙利亚伊斯兰国”的简称，这是他们试图建立的“国度”。
但是现在，ISIS正在奋力守住他们在2014年占领的伊拉克城市摩苏尔。如果ISIS失去摩苏尔市，这可能是伊拉克境内的ISIS走向结束的信号。
这场战役于周一清晨打响。伊拉克军方表示，他们在摩苏尔东南部地区对ISIS成员和设备造成了重创。伊拉克军队领导由其他组织组成的联军，目标是将ISIS驱逐出去。数百名美国士兵参与到这场战役中，不过五角大楼表示，他们不会在前线作战。他们在遇到ISIS恐怖分子的顽固抵抗时可以呼叫空中支援。
一名恐怖主义专家表示，这场战役的主要挑战是，在压制ISIS防守的同时，要避免伤害摩苏尔市的平民。
他们为这场战役准备了数个月的时间。国际官员表示，毫无疑问这是一场非常重要的战斗。

CLARISSA WARD, cnn SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The battle for Mosul is a really big deal, and here's why.
SUBTITLE: Why Mosul matters.
WARD: Mosul is the second biggest city in Iraq and it's the last remaining ISIS stronghold in the country. It's also the place where ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi first declared that he had established an Islamic caliphate or state.
Now, the last time the Iraqi army was in Mosul was back in 2014, ones were fleeing from ISIS fighters. This time, it's hoping to reverse those losses.
Iraqi army forces won't be the only ones on the battlefield, though. Kurdish, Peshmerga forces will be involved and the U.S. military will also be playing a supportive role.
But the battle won't be easy. Officials estimate there are between three and five thousand ISIS fighters still inside the city and they have created an elaborate network of defenses. They fill moats with oil and set it alight, creating these thick black plumes of choking smoke. Houses are booby trapped, the streets are littered with IEDS.
And then there's the human toll. An estimated 1 million civilians are still leaving in the city of Mosul and the U.N. says that the exodus that could follow a battle might be one of the biggest manmade displacements in recent times.
Some commanders estimate it could take as much as three months to take the city, and then there's the aftermath to deal with. But if the operation is successful, it will deal a major blow to ISIS.
cnn高级国际记者克拉丽莎·沃德：摩苏尔之战非常重要，下面我们来解释原因。
副标题：为什么摩苏尔如此重要。
沃德：摩苏尔是伊拉克第二大城市，也是ISIS在伊拉克的最后一个据点。同时，这座城市也是ISIS领袖阿布·巴克尔·巴格达迪首次宣布建立“伊斯兰哈里发国”的地方。
伊拉克军队最后一次出现在摩苏尔市还要追溯到2014年，当时他们为逃离ISIS武装分子，弃城逃跑。这次，他们希望能收复失地。
不过伊拉克军队不是唯一上战场的力量。库尔德自由斗士也将参与到战斗中，另外美国军队也会发挥支持作用。
但是这场战役并不容易。官员估计，摩苏尔市有约3000至5000名ISIS武装分子，他们设立了复杂的防守网络。他们把石油倒在城壕上，然后点燃，让又厚又黑的地柱冒出呛人的烟雾。房子设置了炸弹陷阱，街道上到处都是简易爆炸装置。
还有人员伤亡问题。据估计，目前摩苏尔市有100万名平民，联合国表示，战役打响后会有大批民众逃离该市，这可能是近来最大的一次人为转移。
有指挥官估计，夺回摩苏尔市可能需要三个月的时间，之后还要处理战争后遗症。但是如果这一行动能够成功，那将对ISIS造成重大打击。