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AP PHOTOS: Iraqis flee Mosul fighting

MOSUL, Iraq (AP) - Displaced Iraqi citizens have been fleeing the fighting between Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants, crossing the Nineveh plains northeast of Mosul to reach the Kurdish-controlled areas.

Iraqi troops advanced cautiously into eastern districts of Mosul on Friday, facing stiff resistance from Islamic State militants a day after they paused their assault due to poor visibility, officers said.

On Thursday, cloudy skies over Iraq's second-largest city had obscured the visibility of the drones and warplanes on which the troops rely, hindering their advance.

Here are some images from The Associated Press from Mosul, Iraq, on Thursday and Friday.

In this Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016 photo, Iraqis, who fled the fighting between Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants, sit in an open field as they wait to cross to the Kurdish controlled area, in the Nineveh plain, northeast of Mosul, Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016. Cloudy skies neutralized air power in Mosul on Thursday, Iraqi forces said, hampering their advance into the northern city, although they still faced deadly attacks by Islamic State militants that killed seven civilians and two soldiers. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) The Associated Press
An Iraqi man, center, who fled the fighting between Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants with his family, carries firewood on his back to cook and warm from the cold wind at night, as they wait to cross to the Kurdish controlled area, in an open field in the Nineveh plain, northeast of Mosul, Iraq, Friday Nov. 18, 2016. Iraqi troops advanced cautiously into eastern districts of Mosul on Friday, facing stiff resistance from Islamic State militants a day after they paused their assault due to poor visibility, officers said. The pause also allowed the residents running out of food in areas liberated from IS to get some supplies from Iraqi troops and aid organizations. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) The Associated Press
In this Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016 photo, two Iraqi men, who fled fighting between Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants, offer their noon prayer as they wait to cross to the Kurdish controlled area, in an open field in the Nineveh plain, northeast of Mosul, Iraq. Cloudy skies neutralized air power in Mosul on Thursday, Iraqi forces said, hampering their advance into the northern city, although they still faced deadly attacks by Islamic State militants that killed seven civilians and two soldiers. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) The Associated Press
In this Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016 photo, the body of 19-year-old Berzan Ibrahim Khelil, who was killed by a mortar during fighting between the Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants is carried to a cemetery on a cart by his cousin in Mosul, Iraq. As the operation to retake Mosul enters its second month Iraqi forces are preparing for prolonged, grueling urban combat as they slow the tempo of their operation, advancing just a few hundred meters at a time. The individual tactics employed by IS mirror past fights with the group, but the sheer scale of IS defenses and counterattacks in Mosul has overwhelmed Iraq's military. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) The Associated Press
Women and children displaced by fighting between Iraqi forces and Islamic state militants stand inside a truck as they wait to be taken out of Mosul, Iraq, Friday, Nov. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) The Associated Press
Men and children displaced by fighting between Iraqi forces and Islamic state militants stand inside a truck as they wait to be taken out of Mosul, Iraq, Friday, Nov. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) The Associated Press
In this Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016 photo, Iraqi children, who fled from fighting between Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants with their parents, sit on a pickup in an open field as they wait to cross to the Kurdish controlled area, in the Nineveh plain, northeast of Mosul. Cloudy skies neutralized air power in Mosul on Thursday, Iraqi forces said, hampering their advance into the northern city, although they still faced deadly attacks by Islamic State militants that killed seven civilians and two soldiers. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) The Associated Press
Iraqi men, who fled the fighting between Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants with their parents, sit on the ground as they wait to cross to the Kurdish controlled area, in an open field in the Nineveh plain, northeast of Mosul, Iraq, Friday Nov. 18, 2016. Iraqi troops advanced cautiously into eastern districts of Mosul on Friday, facing stiff resistance from Islamic State militants a day after they paused their assault due to poor visibility, officers said. The pause also allowed the residents running out of food in areas liberated from IS to get some supplies from Iraqi troops and aid organizations. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) The Associated Press
An Iraqi special forces convoy advance towards Islamic State militant-held territory in Mosul, Iraq, Friday, Nov. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) The Associated Press
A girl hiding behind a blanket looks as Iraqi special forces enter her house while advancing towards Islamic State militant-held territory in Mosul, Iraq, Friday, Nov. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) The Associated Press
Iraqi shepherds, who fled the fighting between Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants, feed their sheep as they wait to cross to the Kurdish controlled area, in an open field in the Nineveh plain, northeast of Mosul, Iraq, Friday, Nov. 18, 2016. Iraqi troops advanced cautiously into eastern districts of Mosul on Friday, facing stiff resistance from Islamic State militants a day after they paused their assault due to poor visibility, officers said. The pause also allowed the residents running out of food in areas liberated from IS to get some supplies from Iraqi troops and aid organizations. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) The Associated Press
In this Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016 photo, an Iraqi shepherd, who fled fighting between Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants, stands with his donkey as he waits to cross to the Kurdish controlled area in an open field in the Nineveh plain, northeast of Mosul, Iraq. Cloudy skies neutralized air power in Mosul on Thursday, Iraqi forces said, hampering their advance into the northern city, although they still faced deadly attacks by Islamic State militants that killed seven civilians and two soldiers. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) The Associated Press
In this Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016 photo, Iraqi women, who fled the fighting between Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants, sit at an open field as they wait to cross to the Kurdish controlled area, in the Nineveh plain, northeast of Mosul, Iraq. Cloudy skies neutralized air power in Mosul on Thursday, Iraqi forces said, hampering their advance into the northern city, although they still faced deadly attacks by Islamic State militants that killed seven civilians and two soldiers. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) The Associated Press
An Iraqi girl who the fighting between Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants fled with her parents puts on her boots as she waits to cross to the Kurdish controlled area, in an open field in the Nineveh plain, northeast of Mosul, Iraq, Friday, Nov. 18, 2016. Iraqi troops advanced cautiously into eastern districts of Mosul on Friday, facing stiff resistance from Islamic State militants a day after they paused their assault due to poor visibility, officers said. The pause also allowed the residents running out of food in areas liberated from IS to get some supplies from Iraqi troops and aid organizations. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) The Associated Press
In this Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016 photo, Iraqis, who fled the fighting between Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants, gather around flames to warm themselves from the cold, as they wait to cross to the Kurdish controlled area, in the Nineveh plain, northeast of Mosul. Cloudy skies neutralized air power in Mosul on Thursday, Iraqi forces said, hampering their advance into the northern city, although they still faced deadly attacks by Islamic State militants that killed seven civilians and two soldiers. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) The Associated Press
An Iraqi man, who fled the fighting between Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants with his family, walks next to his tractor and belongings as he waits to cross to the Kurdish controlled area, in an open field in the Nineveh plain, northeast of Mosul, Iraq, Friday, Nov. 18, 2016. Iraqi troops advanced cautiously into eastern districts of Mosul on Friday, facing stiff resistance from Islamic State militants a day after they paused their assault due to poor visibility, officers said. The pause also allowed the residents running out of food in areas liberated from IS to get some supplies from Iraqi troops and aid organizations. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) The Associated Press
Iraqi displaced citizens, who fled the fighting between Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants, sit in an open field as they wait to cross to the Kurdish controlled area, at an open field in the Nineveh plain, northeast of Mosul, Iraq, Friday, Nov. 18, 2016. Iraqi troops advanced cautiously into eastern districts of Mosul on Friday, facing stiff resistance from Islamic State militants a day after they paused their assault due to poor visibility, officers said. The pause also allowed the residents running out of food in areas liberated from IS to get some supplies from Iraqi troops and aid organizations. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) The Associated Press
In this Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016 photo, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters stand at a crossing point where Iraqis fleeing the fighting between Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants cross to the Kurdish controlled area, in the Nineveh plain, northeast of Mosul. Cloudy skies neutralized air power in Mosul on Thursday, Iraqi forces said, hampering their advance into the northern city, although they still faced deadly attacks by Islamic State militants that killed seven civilians and two soldiers. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) The Associated Press
In this Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016 photo, an Iraqi Army convoy drives through a cloud of dust as they arrive in Mosul, Iraq. With the operation to retake Mosul entering its second month, Iraqi forces are preparing for prolonged, grueling urban combat. They have slowed the tempo, advancing just a few hundred meters at a time. The ferocity and magnitude of IS counterattacks and defenses is unlike anything they have confronted before. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) The Associated Press
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