Members of the Iraqi rapid response forces fire a missile toward ISIS militants in the south of Mosul on February 19, 2017.

Iraqi forces continue to battle ISIS and advance in old neighborhoods in Mosul while engineering teams are working to neutralize booby-trapped cars set up by ISIS.

The battles are ongoing inside the old city and in the north and west. ISIS has obstructed the Iraqi forces’ advancement through using explosives and civilians as human shields. Extremists stationed in Al-Nouri Mosque and surrounding areas have held families hostages and hinted at killing them.

Federal Police chief Raed Jawdat said his forces are now stationed in Al-Farouq neighborhood and have set sand barricades in front of the neighborhood so booby-trapped cars and suicide bombers do not infiltrate it.

They’ve also begun to use smart missiles to target ISIS members and commanders. Meanwhile, outside Mosul, counter-terrorism forces continue to fight ISIS in the neighborhoods of Al-Thawra near the northern entrance and Al-Tank in the west.

Head of the counter-terrorism forces said their units have restored a big part of these neighborhoods, adding that it took them some time to regain control over them due to the organization’s use of booby-trapped cars at the entrance of major streets. He added that engineering units are working on blowing these cars up without harming civilians.