An Iraqi army sniper from the 9th armoured division walks to take his position in the area of Ali Rash, adjacent to the eastern Al-Intissar neighbourhood of Mosul, on November 6, 2016, during a military operation to retake the main hub city from the Islam
Hamam al-Alil, Iraq: Iraqi forces retook a key town from the Islamic State group Monday, a crucial objective on the southern front of the offensive to wrest back the city of Mosul.
Federal police, army and elite interior ministry forces established full control over Hamam al-Alil, the last town of note on the way to Mosul from the south, AFP reporters said.
It lies on the west bank of the Tigris river, about 15 kilometres (nine miles) southeast of the southern edge of Mosul.
