moment for the iraqis and for the obama administration. you ll recall it was about seven months ago when iraqi forces fled ramadi as isis advanced, and the u.s. has spent a lot of money in the last seven months trying to train iraqi forces to get ready to take ramadi back. now the iraqis making their move. we are told the fighting very heavy, very difficult, very slow. and that is because isis has laid ieds, bombs, booby-traps, barricades, all kinds of obstacles that the iraqis are having to dismantle and punch their way through, even houses and buildings in ramadi wired to blow. a lot of concern about civilian casualties as the iraqi forces advance through ramadi. but, again, a very important situation. the iraqi forces had really suffered a huge blow in morale and capability when they fled ramadi back earlier this year. so the hope is now led by the
kurdish fighters and christian militias. they were able to take these hostages people who could not flee the advance of the isis fighters. women, children and priests and elderly. people who stayed behind as isis advanced. we know from other people who have been captured other stories from isis territory, at times, these women taken, are sold off in slavery. we have seen men held by isis when they have been taken. there have been people released by isis before, should note. some of the elderyly were released. ian lee in cairo. thank you. terror in syria.