"Next stop, Mosul," says Sgt. Muhanned Hameed, a technician in the 9th Iraqi armored division.
Others were more reflective. One mechanic in the division told CNN's Arwa Damon that while he was excited about reaching Mosul, "God help those who had to flee."
"It always hurts to see the children's clothing on the ground, thrown around. Sometimes we try to pick it up, put it away. I keep imagining, what if it was my house?"
Progress had been swifter than expected on the first day of the operation, as forces advanced on the oil-rich northern city under air support from roughly 90 coalition and Iraqi planes, retaking more than 75 square miles of territory and wresting nine villages from ISIS control.
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