Inside one freshly dug C-shaped mound of dirt, sat a unit of Syrian Kurdish peshmerga women cradling their rifles and wearing surgical masks to ward off the noxious air. As the Isis mortars continued to fall, jet fighters soared through the sky, without dropping bombs, seemingly defeated by the haze of a medieval smokescreen. The Isis mortar team had maintained its range and rhythm, despite the Kurdish attacks. Facebook Twitter Pinterest A Syrian Kurdish peshmerga sniper takes aim during an advance on Isis territory. Facebook Twitter Pinterest A female Syrian Kurdish peshmerga unit pauses during the advance on Mosul.

Source: The Guardian October 17, 2016 16:48 UTC