Iraqi army prepares offensive on west Mosul

The Iraqi army has said that it is preparing military operations to retake western Mosul, after a recent offensive drove out ISIS fighters from eastern districts

Iraqi troops have made swift advances through the city in recent days
Iraqi troops have made swift advances through the city in recent days

The Iraqi army has said that it is preparing military operations to retake western Mosul, the last urban ISIS stronghold in Iraq.

The preparations follow a recent offensive which on Wednesday drove out ISIS fighters from all districts of eastern Mosul that Iraqi forces were tasked with recapturing.

Lieutenant-General Talib Shaghati said the Counter Terrorism Services (CTS), who have spearheaded the three-month-old offensive against Islamic State in the northern Iraqi city, had taken control of the eastern bank of the Tigris river.

Regular army troops were still fighting the ultra-hardline militants in northeast Mosul, however, according to a military statement.

The militants remain in control of all of Mosul west of the Tigris river, including the warren-like streets of the old city, which present a challenge to government forces.

Shaghati said that capturing the western half of the city, which ISIS still fully controls, would be an easier task. Officers have previously said that the more densely populated west bank could pose additional military challenges.

The operation to retake Mosul began in October, more than two years after ISIS overran the city, but stalled amid heavy resistance.

It is the Iraqi military's largest operation in years, involving domestic security forces, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, Sunni Arab tribesmen and Shia militiamen, and assisted by US-led coalition warplanes and military advisers.