Afrasianet - Iraqi forces are close to the Nouri mosque where the leader of ISIS Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi delivered a speech for the first time in July of 2014.

Iraqi television said quoting a military official, that Iraqi and security forces took control of the road leading from Mosul to Tal Afar. According to the state television, the ninth Armored Division and fighters from two other factions seized control on the road from Mosul to Kassik to isolate the western side from Mosul to Tal Afar.

Iraqi forces have made further advancements in the southwestern of Mosul, while a US military official stated that ISIS in Mosul is suffering from chaos in its ranks for lack of coordination among them.

Furthermore, the Iraqi federal police commander said that the troops set up buffers and barriers to protect themselves, and started inspecting the area to detect the remnants of ISIS in preparation for the completion of the operation.

The commander of the Federal Police major Shaker Jawdat explained in a press statement that “the process of restoration of the governmental compound in the heart of Mosul resulted in the death of 139 ISIS fighters and the destruction of 19 wheel bombs.

Troops also captured the Badush prison, northwest of Mosul near the road, where ISIS reportedly executed hundreds of inmates in 2014, another military statement reported by state TV said.

(with Reuters)