Iraq said Thursday that its U.S.-backed forces had taken control of the airport in Mosul, which Islamic State extremists had controlled since 2014.
US-backed Iraqi Forces Retake Mosul Airport

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Fighting rages on as U.S.-backed Iraqi forces battle Islamic State militants for control of the airport in Mosul, Iraq, Feb. 23, 2017. (K. Omar/VOA)

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Iraqi special forces prepare to battle Islamic State militants for control of the airport in Mosul, Iraq, Feb. 23, 2017. (K. Omar/VOA)

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Rubble from a destroyed home litters the street in Abu Saif village, southwest Mosul, Feb. 23, 2017. (K. Omar/VOA)

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Women and children flee as U.S.-backed Iraqi forces battle Islamic State militants for control of the airport in Mosul, Iraq, Feb. 23, 2017. (K. Omar/VOA)