Iraqi forces News

The arid, sparsely populated wastelands between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers are the last refuge of the jihadists in Iraq.

In Iraq, the jihadist group now only controls the city of Hawija, about 300 kilometres (185 miles) north of Baghdad, and desert areas along the border with Syria.

The war against the Islamic State militant group is not over yet despite the success achieved by the Iraqi forces which liberated the key city of Mosul, a top US envoy for the international coalition against the dreaded outfit said.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared the end of Islamic State's "state of falsehood" a week ago, after security forces retook the mosque - although only after retreating militants blew it up.

Dozens of civilians fled in the direction of the Iraqi forces, mostly women and children, some wounded by insurgents fire, thirsty and tired. 

"In the next few days, we will announce the final victory over Daesh," Staff Lieutenant General Abdulghani al-Assadi told AFP in Mosul, using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group.

The insurgents blew up the medieval mosque and its landmark leaning minaret a week ago.

The mosque is hugely symbolic from its pulpit, IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in July 2014 declared a self-styled "caliphate," encompassing territories held by IS in Syria and Iraq.

The attacks targeted Hay al-Tanak, a poor neighborhood west of the Old City, the last stronghold of the militants in Mosul. as

Islamic State is also using suicide car and motorbike bombs, booby traps and sniper and mortar fire against the troops.

Iraqi forces are fighting to retake Mosul from IS, after the jihadist group overran the city in 2014, imposing its brutal rule on its inhabitants.

More than seven months into the massive operation to recapture Mosul from IS, Iraqi forces have retaken the city's east and large parts of its western side, but the jihadists are still putting up tough resistance.

The offensive is the latest push in the more than seven- month battle to retake Mosul.

The army, backed by aircraft from the US-led coalition and local tribal fighters, launched their sweep at dawn in desert areas of Anbar province where the jihadists have hideouts, an army lieutenant colonel said.

Iraqi special forces and police fought Islamic State militants to edge closer to the al-Nuri mosque in western Mosul on Wednesday, tightening their control around the landmark site in the battle to recapture Iraq`s second city.

Iraqi forces battling Islamic State in Mosul edged into the Old City and around the al Nuri mosque on Friday.

Iraqi security forces have seized control of more than a third of west Mosul, a commander said Sunday, after a week of steady gains in their battle to retake the city from the Islamic State group.

With Iraqi troops making steady progress in their assault to retake Mosul from the jihadists, a US defence official said Baghdadi had fled to avoid being trapped inside.

US-backed Iraqi forces on Monday captured Mosul`s al-Hurriya bridge, which leads to the Islamic State-held old city center from the south, a military media officer told Reuters.

Twenty-six thousand people have fled in the 10 days since Iraqi forces launched a push to retake west Mosul, where jihadists were putting up "fierce" resistance on Wednesday.