Military operations in urban terrain is the most difficult kind of offensive operation to undertake. Cities are tough to fight in. The Germans and Russians fought for a year over Stalingrad. The fact ISIS still has a portion of the city isn't odd. As they get squeezed into a smaller space it's going to even more difficult to take terrain. That is due to the fact there is more of them in a smaller space and they fight with more and more fanatascism knowing there's no place to left to run.
Iraq: Islamic State kill 64 civilians, including children, fleeing western Mosul. The civilians were trying to cross the Tigris River, which bisects the city, on Thursday morning to the eastern side which Iraqi forces took over in January, but were shot dead by IS snipers. Ref. Source 3b.
Twenty Islamic State members killed sneaking into Mosul bridge. The twenty militants killed included senior leaders of Arab nationalities as well as Western nationals. They were bound to a security deployment near the Old Bridge, said the officer. Ref. Source 7o.
Hawija almost becoming Islamic State's new headquarter in Iraq. The Islamic State's stronghold town of Hawija, Kirkuk, is almost becoming the group's central haven as new headquarters open replacing others conquered by Iraqi forces in other provinces, said a local source. Ref. Source 5k.
Iraqi PM arrives in Mosul, declares 'big victory' over ISIS. Iraqi Prime Ministier Haider al-Abadi arrived in Mosul on Sunday to declare victory over ISIS, his office announced on Twitter. State TV quoted al-Abadi as saying he "Congratulates the fighters and the people on the big victory" in the key city. ISIS militants dealt Iraq a stunning blow in the summer of 2014 by capturing Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, in a matter of days. Ref. USAToday.
Yeah, and now this type of occurrence will be an ongoing thing as ISIS makes the victor's pay for taking the city. They will set these off every so often and I wouldn't be surprised to start seeing suicide bombers in Mosques, markets, and restaurants, wherever large crowds congregate, in the near future.