An Iraqi soldier stands guard in western Mosul, Iraq, on July 24, 2017. Iraqi forces continued their clean-up operation in western Mosul to eradicate all possible remaining threats of Islamic State (IS). On July 10, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi formally declared that Mosul, the last stronghold of the IS in Iraq, was liberated from IS control after nine months of fierce fighting. (Xinhua/Yaser Jawad)
