1st LD: Iraqi forces free more districts in eastern Mosul

Iraqi security forces on Friday retook control of six districts in the eastern part of Mosul after fierce clashes with Islamic State (IS) militants, a security source said.

Hundreds of the commandos of the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) and Iraqi army made a significant progress in the morning at the eastern side of Mosul, and managed to seize the districts of Aden, Samah, Karkukli, al-Khadraa, al-Ikhaa and al-Quds, a source from the STC told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The troops raised the Iraqi flag on the main buildings of the districts, while fierce battles continued in the adjacent Karamah district, the source said without giving further details about casualties.

The latest push into the city came after more than two weeks of a massive offensive to dislodge the IS militants from their last major stronghold in Iraq.

On Oct. 17, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the start of a major offensive to retake Mosul, the country's second largest city.

Since then, the Iraqi security forces have inched to the eastern fringes of Mosul and made progress on other routes around the city, preparing for a major battle to storm the city and drive out IS militants.

Mosul, some 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, has been under IS control since June 2014, when Iraqi government forces abandoned their weapons and fled, enabling IS militants to take control of parts of Iraq's northern and western regions. Endit