Iraq: Mosul's Great Mosque in ruins as army makes final push against IS

The remains of the Great Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul's Old Town could be seen from afar, Monday, after much of the site was blown up allegedly by the so-called Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) last week.
The historic mosque was the site where IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is said to have declared a self-styled "caliphate" three years earlier. The building was destroyed on Wednesday, while Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service units were in just 50m (165ft) of the site. IS has blamed the coalition forces for the building’s destruction.
The military operation against IS in the embattled city of Mosul began on October 17 last year, an offensive fronted by the Iraqi military and backed by US-led coalition forces. The militant group captured the city in 2014.
Thousands of Mosul residents have been forced to flee the fighting as the campaign has escalated, while an estimated 50,000 civilians still remain in areas under IS control. Senior commanders predict a full recapture of the city in a few days.