Surviving on the front line in Mosul’s street battles
Mohammed Fathi sat calmly on a plastic chair, twiddling his prayer beads as machine gun fire erupted from a neighbor's house, incoming bullets crackled overhead and helicopters strafed targets nearby in western Mosul. The 70-year-old grandfather of 10 looked relieved. The day before, death had come much closer. He described how Islamic State fighters had […]John Davison writes for Reuters:
Mohammed Fathi sat calmly on a plastic chair, twiddling his prayer beads as machine gun fire erupted from a neighbor's house, incoming bullets crackled overhead and helicopters strafed targets nearby in western Mosul.
The 70-year-old grandfather of 10 looked relieved. The day before, death had come much closer.
He described how Islamic State fighters had used the top floor of his home to fire sniper rifles and BKC machine guns at advancing Iraqi forces, while Fathi's family and others displaced by the violence cowered downstairs.
