Nicole Tung

Photographer

www.nicoletung.com

The Road to Mosul

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Location: Istanbul

Nationality: American

Biography: Nicole Tung is a freelance photojournalist. She graduated from New York University, double majoring in history and journalism, and freelances for international publications and NGOs, working primarily in the Middle East and Asia. After covering... MORE

Oil wells burn in Qayyarah, Ira... clouds hanging over the town.

Oil wells burn in Qayyarah, Iraq, November 2016. Many streets and neighborhoods in Qayyarah look apocalyptic, with oil residue covering all surfaces, turning small streets into muddy oil slicks, yet children can still be seen everywhere playing outside. Dozens of oil wells were set on fire as ISIS fighters retreated from the Iraqi Army in August, before the start of the Mosul offensive last month. The oil from Qayyarah provided a huge source of income for ISIS to help finance its activities. Many civilians stayed in their homes during the fight to retake the town and remain there today despite the months of smoke clouds hanging over the town.

A boy carries a white flag indi...trolled it for over two years.

A boy carries a white flag indicating he is not a combatant while feeding from Mosul as Iraqi forces pushed deeper in the ISIS territory, near Gogjali, Iraq, November 2016. Over 100,000 civilians have fled from Mosul since the start of the offensive in October 2016 to retake the Iraqi city back from the hands of ISIS, which has controlled it for over two years.

Women flee from fighting in Mos...r up all skin except the eyes.

Women flee from fighting in Mosul carrying their children and the few belongings they could take near Gogjali, Iraq, on the outskirts of ISIS's so-called Caliphate, where women were forced to wear the full face veil (niqab) in addition to wearing gloves to cover up all skin except the eyes.

A convoy of men fleeing from Mo...n part due to revenge attacks.

A convoy of men fleeing from Mosul are taken off a truck to be searched and checked against a wanted list of suspected ISIS fighters near the town of Gogjali, Iraq, November 2016. Iraqi security forces have been conducting rigorous checks on fleeing civilians to ensure they were not collaborating with ISIS, but their methods of interrogation have drawn criticism from rights groups such as Amnesty International, saying that torture and executions of Sunnis is in part due to revenge attacks.

Men wait to have their IDs retu...ivilians are not ISIS members.

Men wait to have their IDs returned to them following security checks against wanted lists of ISIS fighters in Gogjali, Iraq, a few kilometers from Mosul, November 2016. Various checkpoints have been set up on the road out of Mosul to ensure that those fleeing amongst civilians are not ISIS members.

A fighter from a local tribe st... Qayyarah, Iraq, November 2016.

A fighter from a local tribe stands guard over a neighborhood under darkened skies caused by burning oil wells nearby in Qayyarah, Iraq, November 2016.

Women fleeing from fighting in ... Gogjali, Iraq, November 2016.

Women fleeing from fighting in Mosul carry their children and the few belongings they could take, near Gogjali, Iraq, November 2016.

A girl herds a flock of sheep u...ive last month.Â November 2016.

A girl herds a flock of sheep under a darkened sky in Qayyarah, Iraq, their fleece blackened by the smoke from oil fires that have been burning nearby since August. Oil wells were set on fire by retreating ISIS fighters over the summer before the start of the Mosul offensive last month.Â November 2016.

A woman cries while she cradles... the day to see her son again.

A woman cries while she cradles her son Laith, whom she had not seen for two years as they were finally reunited at the Hassan Sham camp for internally displaced persons near Mosul, Iraq, on November 7, 2016. Laith was trapped in Mosul when it fell to ISIS in 2014. Laithâ€™s mother, who could not go back to their home in Mosul, was forced to stay outside of ISIS territory, longing for the day to see her son again.

A boy, newly arrived at the Has...in Mosul, Iraq. November 2016.

A boy, newly arrived at the Hassan Sham IDP camp, looks through the fence after having fled fighting in Mosul, Iraq. November 2016.

A man kisses his brother throug...lly been reunited at the camp.

A man kisses his brother through the fence at the Hassan Shami camp near Mosul, Iraq, November 2016. The two brothers, who were separated from each other when the offensive to retake Mosul began, had not seen each other for nearly two weeks, both fearing for each others' lives as the fighting intensified. They shed tears of joy at having finally been reunited at the camp.

Fighters with the Popular Mobil...ar Mosul, Iraq. November 2016.

Fighters with the Popular Mobilization Units, who are predominantly Shia, drive in armored vehicles near Mosul, Iraq. November 2016.

A soldier of the Iraqi Army...being caught in the crossfire.

A soldier of the Iraqi Army's Ninth Division aims towards ISIS positions in the Entisar neighborhood of Mosul, Iraq, on Tuesday, November 15, 2016. The presence of so many civilians inside the city has slowed the offensive to retake Mosul, which began in October 2016, against ISIS in taking back the so-called capital of their caliphate. For the civilians who remain, they face food shortages and the constant threat of being caught in the crossfire.

A soldier with the Christian Ni...eâ€™s homes overtaken by ISIS.

A soldier with the Christian Nineveh Plains Units examines a home-made bomb manufactured by ISIS in the town of Qaraqosh, Iraq on November 8, 2016. Even after towns and villages are liberated from the extremist group, many dangers remain, including unexploded ordinances, improvised explosive devices and booby traps ISIS has left behind for enemy troops. Many bomb making factories are found in peopleâ€™s homes overtaken by ISIS.

Two bodies lay in a garbage dum...the brutalities ISIS inflicts.

Two bodies lay in a garbage dump near the town of Hamam al Alil, which had been liberated from ISIS control two days earlier, as seen on November 9, 2016. The men appear to have been executed, with their arms and legs bound together and a cloth covering their eyes. They remained unidentified at the time the image was taken but were believed to have been former police officers, executed by ISIS as they retreated further in to Mosul. Some mass graves have been found as the Iraqi Army advances on the city, a chilling reminder of the brutalities ISIS inflicts.

An elderly woman pleads with a ...being caught in the crossfire.

An elderly woman pleads with a soldier of the Iraqi Army's Ninth Division to give local civilians food aid in the Entisar neighborhood of Mosul, Iraq, just meters from the frontline where Iraqi forces are in engaged in fighting with ISIS in Hay Salam, November 2016. A helicopter strafed nearby buildings where ISIS snipers were positioned. 1 million civilians are estimated to be in Mosul, where many have been prevented from leaving by ISIS, while others have remained in their homes rather than fleeing to internally displaced persons camps. The presence of so many civilians inside the city has slowed the offensive, which began last month against the extremist group in taking back the so-called capital of their caliphate. For the civilians who remain, they face food shortages and the constant threat of being caught in the crossfire.

Jassem, 10, groans in pain as h...hborhood of Sheshan, in Mosul.

Jassem, 10, groans in pain as he lays on a gurney in an ambulance awaiting transport to a hospital, near Mosul, Iraq on November 14, 2016. Jassem was playing with his brother Attallah outside when they picked up an unexploded ordinance in the neighborhood of Sheshan, in Mosul.

A boy walks through a street ne... clouds hanging over the town.

A boy walks through a street near his home in Qayyarah, Iraq, November 2016, as an oil well burns nearby. Many streets and neighborhoods in Qayyarah look apocalyptic, with oil residue covering all surfaces, turning small streets into muddy oil slicks, yet children can still be seen everywhere playing outside. Dozens of oil wells were set on fire as ISIS fighters retreated from the Iraqi Army in August, before the start of the Mosul offensive last month. The oil from Qayyarah provided a huge source of income for ISIS to help finance its activities. Many civilians stayed in their homes during the fight to retake the town and remain there today despite the months of smoke clouds hanging over the town.

Children play on the rubble of ...re as ISIS fighters retreated.

Children play on the rubble of what was once a stadium in Qayyarah, Iraq, on Wednesday, November 9, 2016, as a constant cloud of smoke hangs over the sky. The stadium, which was used by ISIS to hide their weapons stockpiles was destroyed by coalition airstrikes over the summer and oil wells were set on fire as ISIS fighters retreated.

Life after ISIS: Men bathe in t...SIS recruits and Iraqi forces.

Life after ISIS: Men bathe in thermal baths in Hammam al Alil two days after Iraqi forces liberated the town from ISIS as they retreat further into Mosul. November 2016. As the offensive to retake Mosul continues, over 40,000 civilians have been internally displaced, straining already overloaded camps in the region. Hammam al Alil, under ISIS control for over two years, has seen the return of a trickle of civilians to their homes despite improvised explosive devices left behind and sporadic fighting between ISIS recruits and Iraqi forces.

A vegetable seller tends to his...over the town. November 2016.Â

A vegetable seller tends to his stall under a darkened sky in Qayyarah, Iraq, as oil wells burn nearby. Many streets and neighborhoods in Qayyarah look apocalyptic, with oil residue covering all surfaces, turning small streets into muddy oil slicks, but civilians go about their daily lives as best they can. Dozens of oil wells were set on fire as ISIS fighters retreated from the Iraqi Army in August, before the start of the Mosul offensive last month. The oil from Qayyarah provided a huge source of income for ISIS to help finance its activities. Many civilians stayed in their homes during the fight to retake the town and remain there today despite the months of smoke clouds hanging over the town. November 2016.Â

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Thumbnail of Oil wells burn in Qayyarah, Iraq_e clouds hanging over the town.

Thumbnail of A boy carries a white flag indic_ntrolled it for over two years.

Thumbnail of Women flee from fighting in Mosu_er up all skin except the eyes.

Thumbnail of A convoy of men fleeing from Mos_in part due to revenge attacks.

Thumbnail of Men wait to have their IDs retur_civilians are not ISIS members.

Thumbnail of A fighter from a local tribe sta_n Qayyarah, Iraq, November 2016.

Thumbnail of Women fleeing from fighting in M_r Gogjali, Iraq, November 2016.

Thumbnail of A girl herds a flock of sheep un_sive last month.Â November 2016.

Thumbnail of A woman cries while she cradles _r the day to see her son again.

Thumbnail of A boy, newly arrived at the Hass_ in Mosul, Iraq. November 2016.

Thumbnail of A man kisses his brother through_ally been reunited at the camp.

Thumbnail of Fighters with the Popular Mobili_ear Mosul, Iraq. November 2016.

Thumbnail of A soldier of the Iraqi Army'_ being caught in the crossfire.

Thumbnail of A soldier with the Christian Nin_leâ€™s homes overtaken by ISIS.

Thumbnail of Two bodies lay in a garbage dump_ the brutalities ISIS inflicts.

Thumbnail of An elderly woman pleads with a s_ being caught in the crossfire.

Thumbnail of Jassem, 10, groans in pain as he_ghborhood of Sheshan, in Mosul.

Thumbnail of A boy walks through a street nea_e clouds hanging over the town.

Thumbnail of Children play on the rubble of w_ire as ISIS fighters retreated.

Thumbnail of Life after ISIS: Men bathe in th_ISIS recruits and Iraqi forces.

Thumbnail of A vegetable seller tends to his _ over the town. November 2016.Â

Private Story

The Road to Mosul

Copyright Nicole Tung 2024

Date of Work Dec 1969 -

Updated Nov 2017

Location Mosul, Iraq

Topics Children, Civil Wars, Combat, Documentary, Dying/Death, Editorial, Family, Human Rights, Migration, Military, Militias, Oppression, Photography, Photojournalism, War

Nicole Tung

Nov 28, 2017

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