pAs the holy month of Ramadan began, Iraqi forces on May 27 launched a multi-pronged attack against the remaining Islamic State-held (IS) neighborhoodsa in western Mosul.ppThe battle to retake the city from IS forces began in October 2016, with government and Kurdish forces, backed by US-led coalition air support, as well as Shia Muslim militias first retaking the city’s eastern side. In February, an operation to recapture areas west of the Tigris river launcheda.ppIS forces hold control in a small number of neighborhoods and areas including al-Shifa, Jumhuri Hospital, Zanjili, and Saha. The area includes the Mosul Old City and the Great Mosquea, where the IS leader, Abu-Bakr Al-Baghdadi, spoke in 2014 after the city was captured.ppThis video shows smoke rising over the city on May 27.