"A sum of 96 ISIL terrorists have been killed in the battle with government forces in the past two days in the Southern battlefront of Mosul," General Jodat said.

He reiterated that 27 bomb-laden vehicles of the ISIL terrorists were destroyed and 31 of their missile platforms and five mortar launchers were also destroyed in the Iraqi army's offensive.

The Iraqi forces, meantime, seized back the villages of al-Zawiya, Kani Harami, al-Shami, Kharba Hadid and al-Beyza.

The army now says that it has won back control over 30 villages in the last 48 hours.

Also earlier on Wednesday, the Iraqi Federal Police announced that its troops along with its allies have taken back 352 square kilometers of territories during the operations to liberate the strategic city of Mosul from ISIL control.

General said that since the first day of the Mosul Liberation Operations on Monday a sum of 352 sq/km has been taken back.

Meantime, Iraq's Sumeriya News reported that the country's security and popular forces could fully purge Hamdaniya region from the ISIL terrorists, adding that they are deployed in the center of the city and have hoisted the Iraqi flag above the governor's office.

According to the report, 25 ISIL terrorists were killed and tens of others were wounded during the purging operations, while several others fled to the Central parts of Mosul.

Meantime, the Iraqi army forces killed Ammar Ahmad al-Huwaidi, one of the notorious ISIL commanders, in al-Salamiyeh region near Mosul.

Also reports from Mosul region said that the Hashd al-Sha'abi (popular forces) and the Iraqi police discovered and defused two bomb-laden cars in Yajvan region.

SA - 12