(Huffington Post) – Three years after Mosul first fell to the so-called Islamic State in Iraq & Syria (ISIS), the battle to retake Iraq’s second city appears to be reaching its decisive and brutal final stages. Up to 100,000 civilians, including an estimated 50,000 children, are trapped in the last enclave held by the armed group in the densely-packed streets of the old town. Urban warfare is particularly deadly for civilians, who are paying the heaviest price in the fight for Mosul. Unless the city is to become a graveyard for the children who remain, there is an urgent need for our armed forces and our allies to curb the use of explosive weapons in the weeks ahead.

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