VOA常速英语:直击伊拉克摩苏尔战况

This is Mosul’s old city where there has been heavy fighting over the past few days.You also don’t see any civilians around here as almost everyone in this area has fled.Only a few hundred meters from here, the al-Nuri mosque, both the symbolic heart of the Islamic State and an ancient treasure of this region, was bombed last night by IS militants.We can’t get to the mosque now because the bombed site is still heavily guarded by sniper fire and mortars.

Soldiers say IS wanted to destroy the mosque in advance of an Iraqi and Coalition victory over the group in Mosul.Generals from Iraq’s league of special forces or Golden Division say the destruction signifies the end of the group’s power here.

“As you see, our fighters overcame strong resistance here, and you can see how hard they fought. It is difficult traveling this small city, the roads and the geography are difficult, they did the right thing.”

Fleeing civilians say inside neighborhoods still held by IS,families are starving and mortars, bombs, and IS sniper fire are still killing people as they run.

Reporting from Mosul in Iraq, I’m Heather Murdock, VOA News.