For the first time in more than two years Iraqi troops are inside Mosul. Fierce fighting is still underway. ISIL continues to try to hold off advancing forces with snipers, roadside bombs and mortars. Some civilians have been able to flee.

Iraqi counter-terrorism forces advance in Gogjali district of Mosul in northern Iraq, on Nov. 1, 2016. The Iraqi counter-terrorism forces, backed by international coalition and Iraqi aircraft, on Tuesday managed to seize Gogjali district on the eastern edge of the city and took control of the state TV building, Lieutenant General Abul-Amir Yarallah said in a statement issued by the Joint Operations Command (JOC). (Xinhua/Yaser Jawad)

Weary but clearly elated, Iraqi Special Forces troops pull back from Mosul as fresh fighters head in. The mood is relaxed; the men say the advance has been swifter than expected. The commanding officer of this elite unit says his men have already entered Mosul’s state television building.

“Our troops entered the Mosul TV station. The Mosul TV station is very significant. This is good news for the people of Mosul, indicating that the real operation to liberate Mosul has begun,” said Lt. General Talib Shaghati, head of Joint Operations Command.

Even though the battle for Mosul itself is now clearly underway, hidden ISIL fighters are still launching ambushes in and outside of the city.

Clashes with Iraqi special forces have now pushed on into Mosul. There have also been reports of civilian uprisings within Mosul itself, of attacks on ISIL checkpoints in the city, though those reports are as yet unconfirmed.

The United Nations estimates a million civilians may still be trapped inside this northern Iraqi city. So far, they have been prevented from leaving in large numbers.

The U.N. accuses ISIL of using the populace as human shields. But as night fell the first large convoy of civilians made it out of the city. They spoke of their relief, while confirming the Iraqi military are now well inside of Mosul.

“The security forces have reached the Sumar neighborhood,” said an anonymous Mosul resident.

Sumar is inside the city limits-to the southeast. The Iraqi government had said it could take months to re-capture Mosul, but on Tuesday officials said they now hoped the battle might be over in a week or less. Whenever it does happen, it will officially end the extremist group’s so-called caliphate in Iraq.