Battle for Mosul begins with gunfire and car bombs

Two years ago, Iraqi soldiers in Mosul threw down their weapons and fled the city in terror as armed militants overran the streets under the banner of the emerging threat of ISIS.

On Monday, invigorated Iraqi forces and their allies started back down the road to Mosul to try to reclaim the largest city under ISIS control and its last remaining stronghold in Iraq.

The forces got a taste of what's to come.

The 94,000-member Iraqi-led coalition greatly outnumbers its opponents and has the benefit of air support from roughly 90 coalition and Iraqi planes.

Why the battle for Mosul matters in the fight against ISIS

But, if Monday is any indication, "ISIS is showing that it's very willing to put up a fight,".

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