This battle-hardened Iraqi army sniper is seen standing guard at a checkpoint in the war-torn country.

Riyad Jaffar, 27, of Baghdad — wearing a black face mask and armed with a high-powered sniper rifle — stands on the outskirts of Qayara, about 30 miles south of the ISIS-held city of Mosul.

Iraqi forces and their allies are battling to take back Mosul after two years under ISIS control.

Here’s what they’re up against:

With Post wires