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Iraqi forces advance in western Mosul

Iraqi forces advance in western Mosul
Iraqi forces advance in western Mosul
IRBIL, Feb 26 (KUNA) -- Iraqi government forces pushed deeper into the western side of Mosul after driving the so-called Islamic State (IS) militants from Al-Tayaran and Al-Ma'amun neighborhood.
In a press statement, Iraqi Federal Police Commander Lieutenant General Raad Shaker Jawdat stated that federal police forces and a special operations unit have advanced inside Al-Tayaran neighborhood.
He added that advancing forces have set barricades and checkpoints at the center of the neighborhood.
Meanwhile, the police quick deployment units entered Al-Jawsaq neighborhood and become only 500 meters away from the fourth bridge, Jawadat said.
He pointed out that the forces have killed over 102 militants, arrested four others and destroyed 45 mortar shells.
He noted that the chemical weapons unit have managed to defuse a booby-trapped vehicle loaded with a huge tank containing 1,000 litres of poisonous gas near the liberate Mosul airport.
In a separate statement, the anti-terror forces regained control over Al-Ma'amun neighborhood.
In the past few days, Iraqi forces backed with anti-IS coalition's airpower managed to liberate Mosul airport and Al-Ghazlani military camp from the IS militants.
Iraqi forces backed by international anti-IS coalition air power started last week a major military operation to drive Islamic State militants out from the western side of the strategic Iraqi city of Mosul.
Last month, they liberated the eastern side of Mosul from IS after completing the first phase in the plant to Mosul that began on October 17.
The IS group seized Mosul Iraq's second-largest city in mid-2014. (end) sbr.ibi