Iraqi air forces managed to kill 42 extremists during an air raid against the strongholds of ISIS extremist group in the right bank of Iraq’s Mousl city. Meanwhile, the Iraqi forces managed to prevent the extremist group from smuggling its prominent leaders from Howeija district.

Iraqi Special Forces and police fought Islamic State militants to edge closer to the al-Nuri mosque in western Mosul on Wednesday, tightening their control around the landmark site and in Baghdad a suicide truck bomb killed at least 17 people.

The close-quarters fighting is focused on the Old City surrounding the mosque, where Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed a caliphate nearly three years ago across territory controlled by the group in both Iraq and Syria.

Thousands of residents have fled from IS-held areas inside Mosul, the militants' biggest remaining stronghold in Iraq. But tens of thousands more are still trapped inside homes, caught in the fighting, shelling and air strikes as Iraqi forces backed by a U.S.-led coalition advance in the west.

Helicopters circling west Mosul strafed ISIS positions beyond the city train station, the site of heavy back-and-forth fighting in recent days, and thick black smoke rose into the sky, Reuters reporters on the ground said.

More than 40 militants of ISIS extremist group were killed on Thursday in air strike targeting a house northwest of Mosul Nineveh governorate. Local residents said that the government air strikes on a house in Shaheed Mayuf village, west of Badush town, northwest of Mosul.

On the other hand, Parliamentary troops of al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Public Mobilization Units) troops have killed thirty Islamic State members and exploded three vehicles after confronting an attack launched by fighters, west of Mosul.

“The eighth brigade confronted on Thursday an attack by IS militants in al-Hadar area, west of Mosul, using six motorbikes” the media service said. The service added that the troops encountered the attack, killing 30 IS members and destroying three booby-trapped motorbikes with weapons on them

Meanwhile, the troops also exploded a booby-trapped vehicle that targeted the supply roads in the southwest of Mosul. “The 33rd brigade exploded a booby trapped vehicle before its arrival as it was targeting the supply roads southwestern Mosul,” the media service said.

The troops confronted several attacks by IS earlier on Thursday. The PMUs, which consist of 66 militia groups, are considered one of the largest militias in Iraq. It was established in 2014 by a fatwa (religious edict) to fight the Islamic State.

In late 2016, the Iraqi parliament recognized the militia as a national armed force. Iraqi troops took over east of Mosul in January and launched a new offensive to take the western region in February.