The CTS had faced fierce resistance from the militants over several days, who launched waves of suicide bombers, sniper attacks and ambushes.

"We are now in control of the entire neighbourhood.

Opposite us in this direction is the Tahrir neighbourhood, there are some Daesh cells there, which we target from time to time, but our biggest obstacle is the civilians, as you know Daesh use civilians as human shields," said Captain Malek Hamid.

Special forces and a tank division have been fighting to expand their foothold in the east of the city for nearly two weeks.

The fierce ebb and flow of battle in Mosul's eastern districts is leaving residents feeling under constant threat, even after army advances in their neighbourhoods, as counter-attacks by ISIS terrorists often put them straight back in the firing line.

"The situation was very bad, it was difficult, in terms of food, there were shortages, no work, we were all very tired, all the young men were out of work.

Thank God now things seem to be getting better," said Abu Yasin, a resident of the area.

The CTS special forces spearheading the advance into Mosul are part of a 100,000-strong force of army, security forces, Kurdish peshmerga fighters and mainly Shiite "Popular Mobilisation" forces aiming to drive ISIS from the largest city under their control in Iraq or Syria.

SA - 12