Iraqi forces are securing their foothold in the city of Mosul while ISIS head under the besieged of the forces, media reports said.
Soldiers and special forces paused their advance and started clear the area by searching IS house by house, a day after pushing into the eastern outskirts.
Meanwhile, an aid agency has warned that the lives of civilians in Mosul are “in grave danger” and bloodshed feared in the area.
Wolfgang Gressmann of the Norwegian Refugee Council said its staff were “now bracing… for the worst” as the battle for the city intensified.
The Iraqi military said that units from the army’s ninth armoured division and first division had also entered the Judaydat al-Mufti district, to the south-east, after capturing several outlying villages.
Iraqi troops spokesperson told in an interview to a foreign news agency that several IS fighters killed while Iraqi forces did not face any loss of life.
“Iraqi forces has beleaguered the IS chief Abu Bakar Baghdadi, however IS fighters have made the thousands citizens as human shield,” he said adding that Baghdadi had injured in attack but still did not confirm.
