Black Skies Above Mosul

Alan Taylor
November 29, 2016
30 Photos
In Focus

As Iraqi and Kurdish troops close in on the ISIS stronghold of Mosul in Iraq, militants fleeing the region have been sabotaging oil-producing facilities and setting oil wells ablaze, blackening the skies with oily soot for miles. Residents trapped in the area, or attempting to return to their homes, are experiencing health problems related to the smoke, and shepherds are unable to sell the wool of their blackened sheep. As troops are able to stabilize some areas, firefighters attempt to tame the fires before they spread to already-damaged villages nearby.

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Heavy smoke from burning oil wells set on fire by fleeing ISIS members blankets homes on November 9, 2016 in Al Qayyarah, Iraq. Many families have begun returning to their homes in recently liberated towns south of Mosul. #

Chris McGrath / Getty

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A boy stands in front of oilfields burned by Islamic State fighters in Qayyara, south of Mosul, on November 23, 2016. #

Goran Tomasevic / Reuters

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Fire fighters work to quell an oil fire set by ISIS militants in Qayara, south of Mosul, on November 28, 2016. #

Maya Alleruzzo / AP

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Thick black clouds hover over the desert as an oil field that was set on fire by retreating ISIS fighters ahead of the Mosul offensive burns on October 21, 2016 in Qayyarah, Iraq. #

Carl Court / Getty

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Oilfields burned by Islamic State fighters are seen in Qayyara, south of Mosul, on November 23, 2016. #

Goran Tomasevic / Reuters

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Young men ride bicycles next to a burning oil well in Qayyara on October 23, 2016. #

Marko Drobnjakovic / AP

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Sheep blackened by the soot of oil fires set by ISIS militants graze in Qayyara on November 28, 2016. Shepherd Abdel Menaeim says he used to shear the animals to sell their wool. Since ISIS set the oil fires, he cannot sell the blackened wool. "We are not happy with that," he says, "but what can we do?" #

Maya Alleruzzo / AP

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A man takes a selfie in front of a fire from oil that has been set ablaze about 60 kilometers (35 miles) south of Mosul on October 19, 2016, during an operation by Iraqi forces against ISIS to retake the main hub city. #

Yasin Akgul / AFP / Getty

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Internally displaced persons stand at a checkpoint as oil wells burn in Qayyarah on October 23, 2016. #

Marko Drobnjakovic / AP

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Flames and smoke rise from oil wells set ablaze by Islamic State militants before they fled the oil-producing region of Qayyara, Iraq, on November 4, 2016. #

Alaa Al-Marjani / Reuters

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Smoke billows from oil wells, set ablaze ISIS militants before fleeing the oil-producing region of Qayyarah, on August 30, 2016. #

Safin Hamed / AFP / Getty

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An Iraqi man walks on a street covered with smoke after oil wells were set ablaze about 60 kilometers (35 miles) south of Mosul on October 19, 2016. #

Yasin Akgul / AFP / Getty

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An Iraqi army captain rides past burning oil fields in Qayyara, south of Mosul, on November 5, 2016. #

Felipe Dana / AP

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Children living near burning oil wells set ablaze by retreating ISIS jihadists display their blackened hands in the town of Qayyarah on November 20, 2016. Locals told AFP that they face a range of health issues including breathing difficulties, and shepherds said they could not sell their livestock as the sheep's fleece was blackened by smoke. #

Odd Andersen / AFP / Getty

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Blackened sheep graze as oil wells, set ablaze by ISIS jihadists, burn in the background, south of Mosul, on November 20, 2016. #

Odd Andersen / AFP / Getty

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Iraqi army humvees drive on the desert on their way to support their comrade, as black smoke covers the sky during their battle against ISIS, in Haj Ali front line village, southern Mosul, on November 29, 2016. #

Hussein Malla / AP

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A young boy pauses from herding sheep as an oil field that was set on fire by retreating ISIS fighters ahead of the Mosul offensive burns behind him on October 21, 2016. #

Carl Court / Getty

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Thick black clouds hover over buildings in the desert as an oil field that was set on fire by retreating ISIS fighters burns on October 21, 2016. #

Carl Court / Getty

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A group of boys play in a street outside their home in front of a burning oil well set on fire by fleeing ISIS members on November 10, 2016 in Qayyarah, Iraq. #

Chris McGrath / Getty

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Smoke rises from burning oil fields in Qayyara on October 31, 2016. #

Felipe Dana / AP

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Iraqi firefighters battle a large fire at an oil well as they try to prevent the flames from reaching the residential neighborhoods in Qayyara on August 31, 2016. #

AP

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A young boy plays on rubble at a destroyed football stadium as heavy smoke from burning oil wells fills the sky on November 9, 2016 in Qayyarah, Iraq. #

Chris McGrath / Getty

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A firefighter works to extinguish an oil well set on fire by fleeing ISIS members on November 9, 2016. #

Chris McGrath / Getty

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Smoke rises from burning oil wells on October 18, 2016 near the town of Qayyarah, south of Mosul. #

Bulent Kilic / AFP / Getty

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Boys play with a ball in front of oil fields burned by ISIS fighters south of Mosul on November 23, 2016. #

Goran Tomasevic / Reuters

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Smoke rises from oil wells set ablaze by ISIS on November 1, 2016. #

Alaa Al-Marjani / Reuters

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A man stands in front of a burning oil well south of Mosul on October 19, 2016. #

Yasin Akgul / AFP / Getty

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Smoke billows from burning oil wells in Qayyarah on November 25, 2016. #

Thomas Coex / AFP / Getty

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Firefighters work to extinguish an oil well set on fire by fleeing ISIS members on November 9, 2016. #

Chris McGrath / Getty

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A young girl eats bread as she stands outside her home in front of a burning oil well set on fire by fleeing ISIS members on November 10, 2016 in Al Qayyarah, Iraq. #

Chris McGrath / Getty

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