RFE/RL Correspondent Injured On Front Lines In Iraq
Rasool Mahmood, a freelance reporter for RFE/RL's Radio Farda, was seriously injured during fighting in Bashiqa, northern Iraq, on October 20. He was accompanying Kurdish Peshmerga forces as they advanced on Mosul, a stronghold of the Islamic State militant group. Mahmood's injuries include a broken arm, a broken nose, and a badly damaged eye. His photos, taken shortly before the attack, show the continuing offensive against Islamic State fighters.
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Rasool Mahmood was hospitalized in Irbil after he was injured in an attack in Bashiqa, about 24 kilometers north of Mosul. He was apparently wounded by mortar fire. Doctors said there was only a small chance they could save his vision in his damaged eye.
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Mahmood was one of several journalists accompanying Kurdish Peshmerga fighters as they advanced on Mosul. The Peshmerga are fighting alongside Iraqi Army troops and backed by U.S.-led coalition air strikes.
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Mahmood's photos from the front lines in Bashiqa show Peshmerga fighters launching rockets toward territory under militant control.
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Iraqi and Kurdish Peshmerga forces are now positioned on three sides of Mosul after they seized towns to the south, east, and north.
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Mahmood's contingent came under mortar and rocket attack in Bashiqa. There were also reports of suicide car bombings targeting the Kurdish forces.
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Dozens of Peshmerga fighters were killed in the Bashiqa clash, and three journalists were among the wounded.
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Peshmerga fighters prepare for battle.
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Video and photo images taken by Mahmood for RFE/RL have been picked up by media outlets such as CNN and USA Today.
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A video screen grab shows Mahmood delivering a report for Radio Farda in the days before he was severely wounded.