US-led airstrikes have been pounding ISIS targets in and around Mosul for months

US Defense Department

US-led coalition airstrikes hit a purported vehicle-borne IED factory near Mosul ahead of the start of the operation to liberate the city.

The long-awaited operation to retake Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, from ISIS occupiers got underway this weekend, led by Iraqi army forces with help from Kurdish Peshmerga and Shiite militias.

A US-led coalition of more than 60 countries has also contributed to the fight against ISIS in Iraq, primarily by launching airstrikes against the terror group throughout the country.

In the months leading up to the Mosul operation, those strikes have hit ISIS command centers, weapons factories, chemical-weapons labs, fighting positions, vehicles, tunnels, and personnel.

Below, you can see a collection of GIFs showing some of the coalition airstrikes that have taken place in recent months.