Iraqi special forces said on Sunday they had cleared the Qadisiya and Zahra neighbourhoods in the east of Mosul and were planning to advance further.

Iraqi soldiers also said they had recaptured the town of Nimrud which lies on the eastern bank of the Tigris river, 30 kilometers south of Mosul.

Nimrud was one of several historic sites ransacked by the militants two years ago. Iraq's officials said that recapturing the remains of Iraq's rich heritage from the jihadists was a triumph for the world.