Iraqi forces recapture Mosul University

Mosul, Jan 14 (IANS) Iraqi government forces on Friday extended grip in the city of Mosul after intense fighting with Islamic State (IS) terrorist group, recapturing several buildings of Mosul University, the Iraqi military said.

In the eastern front, the commandos of the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) stormed in the morning the complex of Mosul University and managed to seize large part of the University complex, including its technical institute and student dormitories, after heavy clashes with IS terrorists, Xinhua quoted a statement by the Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC) as saying.

The elite CTS forces, backed by US-led coalition aircraft, also recaptured al-Kafa'at neighbourhood adjacent to the University complex and raised the Iraqi on some of its buildings, leaving some 30 IS terrorists killed and destroying three car bombs, the statement said.

Moreover, the CTS troops advanced in the early morning into the three neighbourhoods of al-Sadriya, al-Naser and al-Faisaliyah in the central part of Mosul's eastern side and engaged in heavy clashes with IS terrorists and managed to free the three neighbourhoods after killing some 25 IS terrorists and destroying two car bombs, the statement said.

The troops also reached the eastern bank of the Tigris in central the eastern side of the city and seized the Old Bridge and al-Hurriyah Bridge, which both are partially destroyed, the statement added.

The recapture of Mosul University complex is a significant step, as the complex included important headquarters of the extremist group, the officer said, adding that the next significant target will be the former presidential palaces in eastern the city.

The Iraqi security force have so far recaptured up to 85 per cent of the eastern side of Mosul, locally known as the left bank of the Tigris River which bisects the city, the officer said.