"nightline" welcomes abc's ian pannell reporting from mosul. >> reporter: a lone flag.lanted in a wasteland. a milestone in the fight against isis many thought would never come. iraqi forces retaking the city of mosul. but it comes at a heavy price. it's impossible to describe the scale of the destruction here. it's 360 degrees. i've rarely seen anything quite this devastating. it barely looks like a city anymore. when we arrived just last week, the u.s.-backed offensive to retake the city was in its final days as iraqi troops gained ground we saw hundreds of families fleeing. they emerged as if from hell. >> [ speaking foreign language ]. >> reporter: it's incredible. there are a dozen, two dozen people have just gone by, men, women, old men, children, some of them clearly very badly injured. >> [ speaking foreign language ]. >> reporter: there's nothing here. there are no facilities. there's no hospital. there's no care. the survivors shell-shocked and shattered. >> [ speaking foreign language ]. >> reporter: the escape to safety is perilous. huge piles of db rie are

for "nightline" ian pannell in raqqa, syria. >> sometimes bravery alone is not enough.rofound sentiment. our thanks to ian and his team for shedding light on the story of raqqa. we'll be right back. it's time for a getaway. the lincoln summer invitation is on. now get our best offers of the season. on the agile mkc. on the versatile midsize lincoln mkx. or go where summer takes you in the exhilarating mkz. the lincoln summer invitation sales event. ask about complimentary pick up & delivery servicing. right now get zero percent apr plus 1,000 dollars summer savings on the lincoln mkx, mkc and mkz this is cand right now, lobster. we're serving up more delicious crab than ever. classic favorites like crab lover's dream. and new dishes like southern king crab and dueling crab legs with delicious dungeness and sweet snow crab. it's all happening at crabfest. and crabfest is only happening at red lobster. now this is seafood. latches onto youry finger so hard, it's like she's saying i love you. that's why aveeno's oat formula is designed for your baby's sensitive skin. aveen

ian pannell joining our team of foreign correspondents. great to have you on our team. >>> in the meantime, back here at home tonight, and to the new eruption of gun violence in caught. the numbers are staggering. more than 100 people were shot over the holiday weekend. at least 14 killed. many of the shootings taking place in parts of the city where police have increased their presence. the federal government assigning additional atf agents to the city. >>> there is a manhunt under way for an arson suspect bho opened fire on authorities. accused of setting fires and it comes as three dozen wildfires burn out of control. here's abc's clayton sandell from the region. >> reporter: tonight, a remote stretch of arizona is the center of a manhunt for this suspect, wanted for allegedly pulling a pistol and shotgun on a forest service employee and opening fire. it happened yesterday at this campground near forest lakes. the forest service employee escaped. now dozens of officers, including an fbi s.w.a.t. team have joined the search. police say t

ian pannell, abc news, mosul, iraq. >> we thank ian for this report. >>> there is still much more ahead on "world news tonight" this monday night. the sightseeing balloon crashing into gator-infested waters. the moment more than a dozen laughing tourists begin screaming. the scramble to get everyone back on land. >>> plus the deadly tour bus crash in the west. the driver killed, the bus rolling onto its side. several passengers hurt. what caused the driver to lose control on the highway? >>> and your money tonight. stores offering huge july 4th shopping deals. why the longer you wait, the more you may save. m paul and i used to ask if you could hear me now, with verizon, but i switched to sprint. hey... are you happy that you switched? yes - their network reliability is within 1% of verizon and our unlimited plan is half what you pay with verizon for a family of four. half? that's right - it's half. you could save over $1000 in the first year! they've been ripping us off! just think what you could do with that money. i'd buy a new set of golf clubs. vacation. (vo) unlimited! $22.50 per

abc's ian pannell from syria. >> let's go. >> reporter: tonight, on the run in raqqah. if you want to get to the front line here, there's just one way. run and zigzag to avoid isis snipers. we're moving forward. progress is slow and dangerous. we move to the old city where the war against isis rages. some 3,000 militants trying to hang onto raqqah, their de facto capital, and their last major stronghold. as you can hear the battle for raqqah is now raging. with u.s.-led coalition forces taking the fight on the ground. you can hear the sound, the crackle of gunfire every few minutes. and here right on the front line, a volunteer from california who has come here on his own as a sniper. >> this isn't really a mission of vengeance. that's a dirty word, but this is more like justice, you know? orlando, paris -- >> reporter: and he has bullets to prove it. engraved with terrorist attacks in america and europe. >> you know. what chance did they have, you know? none. so justice for them. >> reporter: he takes us to a makeshift mosque set up by isis. this is the flag of isis he

abc's ian pannell is in erbil with more. ian. >> reporter: ron, when the battle began there were believed to be tens of thousands of isis fighters hiding out in mosul city. today that number is believed to be less than 100. the two sides are so close that apparently the iraqi troops can hear the isis fighters talking in the next street. the fighting is still intense, though. still brutal and people are being killed every day. the iraqi government and the u.s. say the liberation of mosul is now just days away but we've had those predictions before and it's reasonable to expect it could take a little longer than that. but there is an inevitability about what's happening. a tension now switches to racky in syria. this is the capital of the so-called caliphate. there the fighting by the syrian democratic forces maybe led by kurds has begun. if people think it will remove the threat of isis i'm afraid we'll have to think again. if you live in san bernardino, paris or london, as long as isis can recruit and attract people online th

ron. >> ian pannell reporting from iraq. thanks for that, ian. >>> back in the u.s. new details about the deadly police ambush in baton rouge, louisiana, that left three law enforcement officers dead almost a year ago. the district attorney there saying that the suspect was seeking revenge against police after two white officers had been involved in the fatal shooting of an african-american man just days earlier. the d.a. releasing new video of the suspect firing at police officers. he was later killed by a police sniper. >>> in pennsylvania an urgent manhunt for a suspect wanted in killing 18-year-old bianca roberson in what authorities are calling an incident of road rage. surveillance photos show roberson's car and the red pickup driven by the gunman jockeying for position as they merged in traffic. moments later he opened fire and then took off. >>> overnight tennis star venus williams making her first public comment about being sued for allegedly causing a fatal car crash in palm beach, florida, last month. the tennis star writing on facebook saying, quote, i am

for nightline, ian pannell, in mosul, iraq. >> our thanks to ian pannell for that report. >> we'll be o ian el for that report. >> we'll be right back. born to outperform the #1... prestige eye cream for better hydration. and your best look yet. olay eyes collection. ageless. and they happen easily. the other side of this... is they can be removed... easily. spray and wash's... powerful formula... removes over 100 stains. spray and wash. better on over 100 stains. [female narrator] foods rich in folic acid like white bread and leafy greens can help prevent some birth defects before you even know you're pregnant. ♪ make me feel like ♪ i've been locked out of heaven ♪ ♪ for too long ♪ for too long >> locked out of heaven. people are locked out of, you could call at that heaven, for some, for some it's opposite. president trump's twitter. >> oh. because they're locked. it took me a while. i'm there. >> he's ruffling feathers, of course, before he won the white house over what some call his obsession with the twitters. >> now he's facing a lawsuit over his twitter behavior. tim barber of

achievement for the security forces as mosul in iraq has long been an isis stronghold and abc's ian pannell is in erbil, iraq, for us this morning with the latest. ian. >> reporter: paula, dan, iraqi tv are predicting victory in mosul will be declared within the next few hours. here's the most important caveat. we've heard that repeatedly over the last week but it is true to say that they are very close, that they're close to the river and when they get to the river then isis will have been beaten in mosul. why is it taking so long? look, there are three main reason, the first the is the terrain in the ole city. we were down there the other day. it takes hours and hours just to move a few blocks. that's partly because so many of the buildings have been badly damaged, many of them have been destroyed. the second reason is the resistance of isis. don't forget they're taking on an enemy who's willing to stand and fight to the death. and the third key factor here is that there are still hundreds and hundreds of civilians trapped inside the old city. they're fighting from house to house from all

ian pannell has more. >> reporter: there's been little reason to celebrate in iraq for so many years, but now, a major victory against isis. soldiers and civilians took to the streets with a flag in hand, reclaiming the city from the militants, claiming mosul back in the name of iraq and its people. it's been a long, brutal fight, often to the death, as troops battle on the ground and american and coalition planes bomb from the air. often the fightings being house to house, street to street. and for the civilians of mosul, the people who didn't choose this war, this has been a desperate struggle to stay alive. homes, neighborhoods and lives have been destroyed. they've been held as human shields, trapped in their own homes by isis, living under siege with barely enough food and water to survive. so this was an important moment. the men who bravely led this battle, iraq's special forces, planting the flag on the banks of the river tigris and hanging the isis flag upside down, a symbol of their triumph. prime minister abadi declaring victory. the operation to retake mosul began in octob

and privately, the american coalition admits that like mosul, a long, drawnout and bloody ian pannellis crew stays safe. >>> coming up, the deepening mystery in louisiana, involving the wife of a fire chief. it turns out her death was not caused by the fire that engulfed their home. the surprising clue that's now surfaced. >>> but first, phelps versus shark, the most decorated olympians squares off against one of nature's most fierce sea creatures. we'll show you who one. every year, kids miss 22 million school days due to illness. lysol disinfectant spray kills viruses that cause the cold & flu. ♪ [ laughter ] >> so jordan spieth is ticking off the boxes, heading into the pga championship for the chance to become the youngest career grand slam winner. >> the 23-year-old texan played his final five-holes yesterday five under par and closed with a three-shot victory over matt he is calling it a dream come true. >> i am going to thoroughlien j joy this. you don't realize the significance until you hit a low, a pit fall. and this is as much of a high as i've ever exp

. >> abc's ian pannell is there. >> reporter: driving into the heartland of isis, going forward withy, the militants controlled this land. we're heading to the front lines with the christian fighters who are taking on the militants. they take us to a make-shift mosque set up by isis. this is the flag of isis here. we find evidence of drug abuse. you can see a needle there. a sign of the pressure the militants now face. america's sending vehicles and guns to local forces. foreign volunteers have joined the fight against isis, from america. to europe. >> the least i can do is fight and resist them and fight back. >> reporter: let me just explain, the sound you can hear is a u.s. military fire base very nearby. the sound you can hear is the sound of mortars going out. >> i think the morale that the american war machine gives to the local force is incredibly strong. >> reporter: he leads a local unit of volunteers on the frontline. the young syrian kurd joined straight from high school. she says she's fighting to protect and liberate the people. but she's worried the troops don't have th

ian pannell inside the city under siege. >> reporter: tonight, a city on the verge of liberation. isis swept along these streets three years ago. now much of mosul is an ancient city in ruins. but watch what happens. a sudden stream of people emerge from the rubble under a backdrop of gunfire. people died, shout the men. my brother was killed. dirty, dazed, and distressed. one old man tells us they were escaping from isis. they'd clearly been caught in the crossfire. those unable to walk, carried out on the backs of others. a dozen, two dozen people -- men, women, old men, children. some of them clearly badly injured. there's nothing here, no facilities, no hospital, no care. civilians have been routinely kidnapped, tortured and killed by isis. no one knows how many have died here. or how many are still trapped. some people held as human shields. as you can hear, the battle is still going on. they think there are one to 200 isis fighters are holding out. what makes this so hard is that they're willing to stand and fight to the death. the ranks of the dead and wounded grow daily. h

the fighting is not over yet, though, and abc's senior foreign correspondent ian pannell is fresh from the front lines. >> reporter: tonight, the final battle against isis in mosul, eight grueling months of nonstop war. iraqi state tv says the battle is hours from victory. we went with special forces' general saadi towards the front line, with american and coalition forces flying overhead. >> airstrike. >> another airstrike. american? >> yeah, american. >> reporter: hard to imagine anyone could have survived here, but we watched civilians emerge from what remains. shellshocked and shattered, held by isis as human shields. i don't know if you can see this here, just a reminder of where we are. these are residential areas. these are houses destroyed, these are lives destroyed here. the general says we're just yards away from isis. this is where the fighting is at its most fierce. the old city's been devastated. streets and alleys barely passable. but the fighting hasn't stopped. that was a u.s. airstrike. let's go and see. you can see where it went off. the old city is littered with bodi

here's ian pannell. >> reporter: tonight, a major victory against isis. the men who've bravely led this battle planting the flag in the name of iraq and its people. reclaiming mosul from isis. it's a victory, but at what cost? there's been little to cheer here for so long, that soldiers and civilians took to the streets to celebrate. today, the prime minister came to mosul to declare the city for what he called a big victory. but the battle still isn't quite done here. some isis fighters remain, holding out to the end. endless bombing by the u.s.-led coalition, aimed at isis, has destroyed much of the old city. thousands have died, many more injured. held as human shields. prisoners, starved in their own homes. hard to imagine that anas is 14 years old. his mother told me he used to be strong but he hasn't had food or water for ages. ali was searching for his family. their home was hit in an air strike weeks ago. he says he last spoke to his brother on the phone when he was trapped under the rubble, but then he stopped answering. so tonight, a celebration

here's ian pannell. >> reporter: tonight, driving into the heartland of isis. going forward with american-backed forces. until recently, the militants controlled this land. going to the front lines with the christian fighters who are taking on the militants. the fighters take us to a makeshift mosque set up by isis. this is the flag of isis here. we find evidence of drug abuse. you can see the needle there. a sign of the pressure the militants now face. america is sending vehicles and guns to local forces. foreign volunteers have joined the fight against isis from america to europe. >> the least i can do is fight and resist them and fight back. >> reporter: let me just explain. the sound you can hear. a u.s. military base is nearby. that is the sound of mortars going out. >> i think the morale of the american war machine gives is incredibly strong. >> reporter: sozdar bawer leads a unit of local volunteers on the front line. the young syrian kurd joined straight from high school. [ speaking foreign language ] >> reporter: she's says she's fighting to protect an

for "nightline," ian pannell, in raqqah, syria. >> a powerful report from ian. tunnel. the u.s.-supported syrian fighters have taken control of half of the city. >> american snipers on the frontline says it's not about revenge. but it's about justice. >> we'll be right back. you're in a group most likely to develop skin cancer, including melanoma. that's why your best shot is to check for a spot. follow through and check your skin. go to spotskincancer.org to find out how. ♪ strummed guitar you can't experience the canadian rockies through a screen. you have to be here, with us. ♪ strummed guitar travel through this natural wonder and get a glimpse of amazing. with a glass of wine in one hand, and a camera in the other, aboard rocky mountaineer. canada's rocky mountains await. call your travel agent or rocky mountaineer for special offers now. ♪ ♪ love me, love me say that you love me ♪ ♪ fool me, fool me oh, how you do me ♪ >>> we're getting new details in this morning about this accident, justin bieber accidentally hitting a paparazzo with his truck. we're lea

abc's ian pannell has the latest. >> reporter: after a grueling eight months, isis is finally on thee. this is iraq's second city and has been the center of power for the militants for three, long years. they control less than a square mile of mosul, and that's where the fighting has still been intense. there's been untold sacrifice on all sides here. thousands have died. many more injured. for those who've just escaped, there's relief. the boy shouted at us, we're free from isis. but don't forget what they've suffered and lost. miriam says i'll never go back home. it's all destroyed, and i'll never forget what isis did. for many, this was the first food, the first clean water they've had in months. isis took everything. they had the food, the medicine, the water. they left us with nothing. the siege may be ending, but no one will forgive or forget what's happened here. ian pannell, abc news, mosul. >>> and meanwhile, political protests continue in venezuela as the country looks to put its top prosecutor on trial. riot police surrounded the supreme court building in caracas. inside t

backed iraqi forces are edging ever closer to recapturing the key iraqi city of mosul, and abc's ian pannell recently spent time on the front lines and joins us from erbil. >> reporter: paula, dan, iraqi troops now say they've just got a few hundred yards left and then this battle is done. in fact, they say that isis now controls less than half a square mile of mosul. but with civilians trapped and the terrain tough, the going is a slow as it is dangerous. this morning, isis cornered as iraqi troops close in finally taking back mosul after nearly nine months of all-out war. just look at the devastation. >> go, go, go. >> reporter: we went into the heart of the old city on the front lines with iraqi special forces. civilians have suffered the most here. this is almacmed whose family was caught in the cross fire. her husband is dead and this is what remains of the family home. this was the bedroom of the young girl. she is only 15. this is literally the roof of the house that's come in. when the rocket struck and there were fragments of the rocket around the house. delau lost a hand in the fig

ian pannell is there. good morning, ian. >> reporter: george, just look at this.re at one of the main junctions in the city in west mosul. this is where the fighting has been at its heaviest. yard after yard, mile after mile of mosul has been devastated by the bombing, by the fighting that's taken place here. we've seen bulldozers clearing away debris and seen people reinstalling sewage pipes. this is the new normal in iraq. we've heard a couple of explosions as the fighting goes on against small pockets of isis fighters still left in the city. now all guns will turn westward to raqqah in syria. there u.s.-backed forces are leading the battle against the militants and so far with success. so the situation here in mosul is one where people are happy about what has happened and hugely relieved that reign of terror has been released and know this doesn't mean peace in their time. george. >> okay, ian, that war has a long way to go. >> the new normal in iraq as he said. >>> the international battle over charlie gard, an infant who suffers from a rare genetic condition

we go now to abc's ian pannell who's on the front lines in that city. good morning, ian. >> reporter: amy, it's been a grueling eight-month slog but could this be the week that isis is finally defeated in mosul? its center of power in iraq for the last three years. u.s. military officials say the militants control less than a square mile but the iraqis are calling it and the prime minister has congratulated his troops on victory. this morning, the last gasp of isis in mosul. the fighting has eased. it hasn't stopped, but it's now confined to just a few blocks in the old city. it's taken months to get to this point. and the toll has been terrible. thousands of people have been killed or injured and many more have been made homeless. even though the fighting hasn't stopped, victory is being declared. prime minister abadi congratulated the fighters for families for a big victory bringing down the false state of isis. parts of mosul barely look like a city anymore. it'll take years to rebuild and recover here. thousands of residents have been prisoners in th

the major city of mosul from isis in what would be a major blow to that terrorist group and abc's ian pannell who spent years reporting joins "gma" for the first time from the front lines. ian. >> reporter: dan, as you can probably see the battle for this city is still raging. but that hasn't stopped iraqi troops from holding a victory parade this morning. they say they'll recapture the city in just 48 hours. but winning the battle for mosul and defeating different things. three years since isis took over the city, the center of its power in iraq now finally victory is at hand. just 100 or so isis fighters left pinned down in the old city. but fighting to the death. the people of mosul didn't choose this war and they've paid a heavy price for it. hundreds possibly thousands killed. countless wounded. and made homeless. we watched dozens escape from isis limping to safety. and an uncertain future. even so, iraqi troops held a victory parade today. the government's planning a week of celebrations. and the president's also touting victory saying there's new urgency in the fight. >> but i want to

now, syrian forces are moving in and abc's ian pannell has gone deeper into raqqah and the battle against isis than any other u.s. broadcaster and he joins us from that region. good morning, ian. >> reporter: robin, with mosul pretty much done raqqah and syria is where isis is making its last stand. don't underestimate how important this is. we're talking the capital of isis and the outcome matters to america, europe and the people who live here. raqqah, syria, ground zero in the war against isis, with u.s.-backed forces locked in a fight to the death. isis snipers who killed many here are moving quickly, the only option. we moved up to the front line with local fighters. the going is as slow as it is dangerous. you can hear the battle for raqqah is ongoing. you've got local forces backed by the united states taking the battle to them. sounds of gunfire and drones overhead and coalition air strikes every few minutes and here we met an american sniper on the front line. a young volunteer from california. >> if a member of isis was in this room right now with all of us, what chance would he