Residents of Mosul Say Islamic State Kidnapping Men For Defense

Residents of embattled Mosul say that Islamic State fighters are going door to door and forcing young men in western Mosul to fight for them in defense of the remaining pockets of the city which used to be an Islamic State stronghold. The forced recruitment seemed to show that the group is getting desperate as the fighting in Mosul continues. Thousands of people continue to flee the city, saying they did not want to be used as human shields. US-backed Iraqi forces began the fight to retake Mosul from Islamic State six months ago. US officials estimate about 2000 Islamic State fighters remain in Mosul. Iraqi officials said more than 300,000 have fled the city since the fighting began.