The forces raided al-Abar area, killing 17 Daesh members,said Major Ali Mohsen, a commander of the Iraqi armys elite Counter-Terrorism Forces (ICTF), on Wednesday.
He added that six female Daesh members from various Arabnationalities were also detainedduring the operations.
Troops liberated around 40 percent of al-Abar region,he added, noting that Iraqi forces were still engaged in clashes with the terrorists.
A separateICTF commander noted that the anti-terror forces had also carried out raids in al-Tanak, another districtofthe city.
Also on Wednesday, the Iraqi Defense Ministry announced that the air force had killed 20 terrorists during an operation in the al-Sabuniyah area of the city.
Separately, an Iraqi government official announced that 15 terrorists were also killed in an Iraqi air forceairstrike inMosuls western Hadar region.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="555"]
Two ballistic helmets hang on a trolley in an area controlled by Iraqi forces fighting Daesh in western Mosul, Iraq, April 12, 2017.[/caption]An airstrike targeted a gathering of Daesh militants in al-Shaihan village in al-Hadar areabased on federal investigations and information, read a statement.
Others were injured as they were intending to launch attacks in several areas, it added.
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Iraqi forces destroy Daesh ammo depot
Meanwhile, Iraqi federal police troops discovered a terrorist ammunition depot during operations in the Old City area, where they have been active for several weeksand have been facing tough resistance which is hindering their progress.
They are currently advancing through the citys maze-like streets towards the al-Nuri mosque, where Daeshs leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, announced the forming of the groups so-called caliphate in 2014.
According to police Lieutenant Colonel Hussein Zughayer, around 1,000 rockets and 1,000 bags of chemical material used to make bombs and explosiveswere found in the cache.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="555"]
A member of the Iraqi Federal Police works on a vehicle in an area controlled by the Iraqi forces fighting Daesh in western Mosul, Iraq, April 11, 2017.[/caption]"Troops found this depot during search operations of the district. The place was used by the Daesh to store rockets and use it against the civilians and the security forces," he added.
Iraqi army soldiers and pro-movement fighters havemade sweeping gains against Takfiri elements since launching the operation toretake Mosul last October.
The Iraqi forces took control of eastern Mosul in January after 100 days of fighting, and launched the battle in the west on February 19.
