Iraq’s elite counter-terrorism service (CTS) units have fought ferociously against ISIS to a bridge that crosses over the Tigris River which divides Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, CTS spokesman Sabah al-Numan said.
CTS forces backed by U.S.-led air raids meanwhile clashed with Islamic State militants near a historic site a short distance away, an officer said, as they tried to drive the jihadists out of more districts in the city, Reuters reported.
“This morning CTS troops advanced in two directions towards the Baladiyat and Sukkar districts,” Lt.General Abdelwahab al-Saadi said.
“During the advance, Daesh (ISIS) tried to confront us from the historic hill,” he said, apparently referring to a hill located near the ruins of the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh, east of the Tigris river and inside Mosul.