The fervent battle with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has taken an intense high as Iraqi security officials, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and paramilitary groups have banded together in order to hold back the strong forces of ISIS. According to CNN, the city of Mosul has been under ISIS control for the last two years. In 2014 Islamic state leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi took over the city of Mosul and its one million residents, causing continuous unrest for those enduring the conditions of an entangled battle.

Anti-ISIS forces have been on the move recently to take back previously lost Christian cities in order to minimize the effect ISIS has on Iraq and the world. Homes, businesses and citizens are said to be in a state of peril, with current damage of towns leaving Iraq and Syrian residents with years of reparations.

“ISIS is a very large group and people in the world are starting to figure out that finding the main source of it could take several years,” freshman Kacey Meltzer said.

The coalition to liberate Mosul came in full force Monday, October 17, igniting violent warfare in defense to ISIS. This Iraqi-led mission is a culminating result from years of threats and disastrous actions performed by their enemy. Although taking on ISIS is a dangerous task for those on the front line, different forms of militia from around the world have joined together in this dire time in order to defeat violent jihadists fighters of the overpowering group.

ISIS has not only affected Iraq and Syria, but has also been the reported cause of attacks on 29 other countries. With over 2,043 deaths and 143 attacks, ISIS is a prominent threat in society for all governments, including that of the United States. Fear overwhelms many U.S natives, including sophomore Megan Trusky, who believe that the effects of ISIS can come closer to home than expected.

“ISIS can attack anywhere, which is really terrifying,” Trusky said. “Attacks near Chicago have been predicted and could occur anytime, which is a really scary thought for me.”

The citizens of Mosul have been facing increasing regulations. For example, CNN reports that ISIS distributed papers demanding phone SIM cards and antennas from residences in order to limit outside contact. With cities being bombed and attacked every day, refugee help has been a hot topic in American politics, and continues to be an issue on creating future assistance.

Since ISIS’ founding in 1999, the world has been impacted greatly by the radical militia and it’s actions. Mosul is just one of the recent examples of the devastation facing the world, and the continued forces of Anti-ISIS groups that are in pursuit of liberating the lost land and people. The fight for Mosul has just begun, and produces hope towards a returned control within Iraq and surrounding countries.