Mosul is falling steadily into the hands of Iraqi government forces. Now, three months into the offensive, the military has pushed the Islamic State out of an estimated 95 percent of the eastern portion of the city. Progress in the east is critical. Once in control of the eastern banks of the Tigris River — which bisects Mosul — anti-Islamic State forces can turn to concentrate on the west. The gains followed an Iraqi Ministry of Defense decision to reinforce the eastern front, with a particular focus on the southeast. On Jan. 14, Iraqi forces recaptured the University of Mosul, once one of the main Islamic State headquarters in the city. Troops now also control all five of the severed bridges that connect the two halves of the city.