It was an awkward coalition riven by political and sectarian differences, facing an elusive, fanatical enemy dug into an urban maze of narrow streets and alleyways. So, could Iraq's government really deliver on its vow to vanquish Islamic State? In the end, the army, Shi'ite Muslim paramilitaries and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters mustered rare unity to end Islamic State's reign of terror in Iraq's second city Mosul, the seat of the ultra-hardline Sunni insurgents' "caliphate". Baghdad's victory in July 2017 after nine months of fighting was the coup de grace for the caliphate and came three years after a jihadist juggernaut seized one third of the Iraq. But even with supportive U.S. air strikes, Baghdad's triumph came at a devastating cost for the once-vibrant, multicultural city in northern Iraq and the surrounding region. REUTERS/ SEARCH "POY IS" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "REUTERS POY" FOR ALL BEST OF 2017 PACKAGES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY. Matching text: GLOBAL-POY/ISLAMIC-STATE