The commander of Nineveh Liberation Operation, General Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah, announced on Sunday afternoon that Iraqi counter-terrorism forces had wrested full control of the Karkukli neighborhood in eastern Mosul, located 400 kilometers north of the capital Baghdad, Arabic-language al-Sumaria television network reported.

A local source, requesting not to be named, also said counter-terrorism forces intercepted and shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle belonging to Daesh terror group in the skies over Mosul’s eastern neighborhood of Intisar.

The source added that the reconnaissance drone was collecting information on the positions of Iraqi military units in the area before being struck.

Additionally, the commander of Federal Police Forces, Lieutenant General Raed Shaker Jawdat, stated that security personnel had completely liberated the southern flank of the northern province of Nineveh, covering an expanse of 1,846 square kilometers.

He added that Iraqi forces have regained control over 94 villages and killed 935 terrorists since the offensive to liberate Mosul kicked off on October 17.

Earlier on Sunday, Iraqi government forces captured the site of the ancient Assyrian town of Nimrud, which lies about 30 kilometers southeast of Mosul. Daesh Takfiris overran the town two years ago.

"The villages of al-Nomaniyah and al-Nimrud and the ruins of Nimrud were recaptured,” Staff Brigadier General Saad Ibrahim of the 9th Armored Division said.

Meanwhile, Major General Sami al-Aridi said Iraqi forces are pushing deeper into Mosul despite a raft of car bombs that Daesh uses to lower the advances.
“There are so many civilian cars and any one of them could be a bomb,” Aridi said.

Iraqi forces have already cleared the Qadisiya and Zahra neighborhoods of booby traps and unexploded ordnance, and are building ridges of sand and road blocks to prevent car bombs from approaching government troops.

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