Iraqi forces pause at edge of Mosul, weather cuts visibility

An Iraqi special forces general says his troops are holding their positions along Mosul's eastern outskirts as poor weather hampers visibility in operations to rout Islamic State fighters from the country's second-largest city.
Brig. Gen. Haider Fadhil says no advances are planned for today, as high humidity and clouds obscure the view of aircraft and drones.
From the Mosul neighborhood of Gogjali, which is inside city limits but just outside more urban districts, the guns have gone largely silent, although sporadic rifle cracks could be heard as well as some army artillery fire on IS positions.
The pause comes after Iraqi troops yesterday set foot in the city for the first time in more than two years, gearing up for urban warfare expected to take weeks, if not months.