1. Mosul June 5-10, 2014 Strategic Context Following the United States-led (US) invasion of Iraq in 2003, sectarian violence erupts across the country. By 2007, the violence subsides due to a temporary surge in US troops and the Sunni Anbar Awakening, in which Sunni tribal militia in Anbar province form an alliance against militants such as international terror network al-Qaeda (AQI) and the offshoot Sunni-based Islamic State in Iraq (ISI). The situation worsens again in 2011 when the US and its Coalition allies withdraw from Iraq, leaving the splintered Iraqi government to largely fend for itself. The Syrian Civil War begins around this time, giving groups such as ISI space and resources to operate with. In early 2014, despite being disavowed by AQI, ISI gains momentum, seizing Aleppo in Syria, and Fallujah and Ramadi in Iraq to establish a stronghold in Anbar province. Iraqi security forces (ISF) launch an offensive to recapture Anbar province in March 2014, which proves indecisive. ISI, under the new name of the Islamic State in Iraq in Syria (ISIS), responds in June with a counteroffensive against Samarra and Mosul, two key Sunni cities in northern Iraq. Stakes + An ISIS victory would bring more Sunni areas under its control, allowing it to consolidate its power base to enable follow-on offensive operations. + An ISF victory would contain ISIS advances in Iraq, allowing it counterattack and recapture Anbar province. By Jonathan Webb, 2015 To view animation on PC: hit F5 To view animation on Mac: hit ⌘ + enter

2. Mosul, 2014 Strength  Islamic State in Iraq and Syria  Well  Iraqi Security Forces  Demoralized  Abu Abdulrahman al-Bilawi  10,000  1,300  Mahdi Gharawi By Jonathan Webb, 2015

3. Controlled by the Iraqi Government Controlled by ISIS Controlled by Iraqi Kurds Iraq c. June 23, 2014

4. 0123 km The battlefield consists of the city of Mosul, capital of Nineveh Province and densely populated with over 650,000 inhabitants. The city is bisected by the great Tigris River, with smaller rivers branching off to the east and west. The main service routes (MSRs) into the city are Highway 1 in the west and Highways 2 and 80 in the north. While there is very little key terrain in such complex urban terrain, most of the vital government infrastructure such as the provincial government headquarters, general hospital, and airport are located in the southwest portion of the city. Tigris River Ninveh Woods Mosul General Hospital Power plant Mosul University Mosul Airport Nineveh Provincial Government Headquarters Mosul Hotel ISF (Gharawi) ISIS (al-Bilawi) Highway 1 Highway 80 Highway 2 Highway 1 Highway 80 Highway 2

5. 0123 km June 4: ISF consist of the 2 nd (Army) Division and the 3 rd (National Police) Division. Morale is low in ISF largely as a result of corruption, which leaves units lacking proper manning, equipment, and training. Relations between ISF and the Mosul population is poor. ISIS has infiltrated Mosul with sleeper cells and pockets of support throughout. Gharawai disperses ISF throughout the city at varying levels of readiness. Checkpoints along MSRs into the city are seriously undermanned given the threat level. ISF surround an ISIS vanguard commander, forcing him to blow himself up with a suicide vest the day before the ISIS attack. June 5/6 night: At 0230 in the morning June 6, ISIS units aggressively attack in both the east and west, using vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs), mortars, and rockets to blast through the undermanned checkpoints, quickly followed by convoys of technicals (pick-up trucks mounting heavy machine guns on the back) filled with troops. June 6: ISIS cells bomb ISF intelligence headquarters in northeast Mosul as ISIS launches additional aggressive combined arms attacks in the north and other directions. Follow-on exploitation forces begin to enter the battle following the success of the initial disruption forces. Gharawi issues orders for ISF to form a defensive line to contain ISIS-infiltrated western areas but receives a call from Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki himself to hold off until Chief of Staff Abboud Qanbar and commander of all Iraqi armed forces Ali Ghaidan Majid to arrive and take control of the situation. June 7: ISIS seizes the power plant and begins shutting off electricity to western parts of the city. Meanwhile, Qanbar and Ghaidan arrive and assume command. ISF begin to cordon off northwest Mosul in preparation of a counterattack. ISIS sleeper cells begin to activate during this time. Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga offer their assistance but Maliki refuses. June 8: ISF begin clearing operations in northwest Mosul with support from indirect artillery fire and close air support from the Iraqi Air Force (IAF). ISF make some progress, temporarily lifting morale. However, ISIS forces capture the abandoned Mosul Hotel near the Tigris River; Qanbar/Ghaidan sack 2 nd Division commander when he refuses to counterattack to retake the hotel, dropping morale to a new low. ISIS forces are also reinforced during this time as 400 troops in 100 vehicles cross the Syrian border into Mosul. Civilians begin evacuating the city as ISF confidence falls. ISIS (al-Bilawi) June 9: ISIS halts ISF offensive operations and seize control of most of western Mosul. By 1930, there are reports of ISF troops discarding weapons and uniforms, burning camps, and fleeing the city. ISF desertions increase to the level of a rout when Qanbar and Ghaidan withdraw across the Tigris River to a new headquarters, giving troops the impression that leadership is abandoning them to their fate. ISIS pushes the attack, capturing Nineveh Provincial Headquarters and Mosul Airport in the south. June 10: the ISF rout worsens as ISIS forces continue to advance against diminishing resistance. Gharawi must fight his way across the Tigris River to safety. ISIS release inmates from Bardosh Prison north of Mosul, whose prisoners bolster ISIS ranks. ISIS forces take control of Mosul and push south, seizing IAF Qayyarat Airbase and Sharqat Airport (off-map). Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (Abu Abdulrahman al-Bilawi) 1,3000 Iraqi Security Forces (Mahdi Gharawi) 10,000 Landmarks Tigris River Ninveh Woods Mosul General Hospital Power plant Mosul University Mosul Airport Nineveh Provincial Government Headquarters Mosul Hotel Highway 1 Highway 80 Highway 2 Highway 1 Highway 80 Highway 2 Symbol guide ISISISFInfantry VBIEDAir support Headquarters ISF (Gharawi)

6. Mosul, 2014 Casualties & Aftermath Islamic State in Iraq and Syria:Iraqi Security Forces: ? or ? 2,500 or 25% By Jonathan Webb, 2015 In addition to Mosul, ISIS also seized Samarra, Tikrit, and the Baiji oil refineries, pushing on to Diyala on the outskirts of Baghdad, the Iraqi capital. This provoked a fierce but unsuccessful ISF counterattack to retake Tikrit. By the end of June, ISIS consolidated its gains and declared an Islamic Caliphate from Aleppo to Diyala. In August, ISIS launched a second major offensive in northern Iraq, this time against Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga, seizing Sinjar and Mosul Dam. ISIS successes prompted the US to form a new Coalition and lead air strikes and special forces raids against ISIS. US actions have immediate results as Kurdish Peshmerga and ISF recapture Mosul Dam. The next two years witnesses fierce combat throughout Syria and Iraq as ISIS is halted and very slowly pushed back. As of May 2016, Kurdish Peshmerga and ISF are conducting offensive operations in Nineveh province in the hopes of recapturing Mosul.

7. The Art of Battle: Animated Battle Maps http://www.theartofbattle.com By Jonathan Webb, 2015