Iraqi forces free new district from IS in Mosul

Iraqi security forces on Tuesday freed a new district from Islamic State (IS) militants in eastern Mosul, while fierce clashes continued as the troops tried to enter two more areas in the city, security commanders said.

The commandos of the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) liberated the district of al-Bareed in northeastern Mosul after heavy clashes with the IS militants since early morning, leaving at least 22 IS terrorists killed and destroying two suicide truck bombs, Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi, commander of the Iraqi CTS, told Xinhua.

The commandos also started a new attack on the nearby district of al-Nahdha and managed, so far, from taking a foothold in the district as heavy clashes continued during the day, Saadi said.

In southeastern Mosul, the army's 9th armored division continued fierce clashes with the IS militants in al-Salam district and cleared the district's hospital after driving out the militants from the building, according to Lt. Gen. Abul-Amir Yarallah from the Joint Operations Command.

The troops have been fighting street battles against IS militants inside Mosul for several weeks, and were met by stubborn resistance from the extremist militants, who are fighting in small groups and moving quickly throughout the districts in the eastern side of the city, locally named the left bank of the Tigris River that bisects the city.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Oct. 17 announced 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.

Mosul, some 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, has been under the 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