US Army and coalition forces continue to pound ISIS in Mosul, Iraq as ISIL forces dig in for what's being call "Hell on Earth" battle coming soon as Iraqi forces continue to surround Mosul. Islamic State fighters in Mosul are digging trenches and can be seen pouring oil in some of them to bolster their defensive positions in Iraq’s second largest city ahead of an expected U.S.-backed Iraqi ground assault on the city. ISIS is preparing for “hell on earth,” said Col. John Dorrian, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition, who added that the terror group is moving large walls to slow down the invasion.
Burning oil or tires produces a thick black smoke that can block the view from overhead, making it difficult for U.S. aircraft to visually identify potential targets. Dorrian said ISIS has been burning oil fields near a U.S. base in Qayyarah, located 25 miles south of Mosul. He said ISIS was using the smoke to “mask movements.”
Military sources said “if the stars align,” the Iraqi-led ground invasion could happen as soon as the next few weeks in mid-October.
Dorrian would not comment on reports that the U.S. military was planning on sending 500 more troops to Iraq, as first reported by The Wall Street Journal on Thursday.
