Iraqi forces on Thursday captured the compound of a landmark mosque in Mosul that was blown up last week by ISIL.
This is a hugely symbolic site from where the top ISIL leader declared an Islamic “caliphate” nearly three years ago.
Drone footage taken by the Associated Press shows the al-Nouri Mosque and its surroundings with Iraqi military vehicles parked nearby, smoke rising from several buildings and the impact of mortar rounds.
Thursday’s push comes more than a week after Iraqi forces launched the operation to retake Mosul’s last ISIL-held parts of the Old City neighbourhood, with its narrow alleyways and dense clusters of homes.
