The Iraqi army has been pounding ISIL targets in Mosul, as part of their bid to drive out the group from the city.

The artillery of the army’s Ninth Armoured Division struck the district of al-Quds from the army’s positions in the nearby district of Kokjali.

The long-awaited attack aims to relieve pressure on Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) troops who have spearheaded the fighting in eastern Mosul for the last month and have come up against the jihadists lethal defences.