Smoke rises from buildings during clashes as government forces advance in Mosul's western al-Saha neighbourhood during their ongoing battle to retake the area from Islamic State (IS) group fighters on May 28, 2017. / AFP / KARIM SAHIB
NINEVEH, Iraq: At least 13 Iraqi soldiers were killed in a Islamic State ambush in western Mosul on Sunday, an Iraqi officer said.
Scores of Islamic State militants attacked Iraqi forces, shortly after the latter seized control of Tibb al-Mosul town in the city's western side, the Rapid Response officer said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to media.
"It was a trap," the officer said. "Iraqi troops were forced to withdraw from the town to avoid incurring heavy losses."
Sunday's losses came one day after Iraqi forces launched an operation to capture the last Islamic State pocket in western Mosul.
Since October 2016, Iraqi forces launched a large-scale military operation to clear Islamic State from Mosul, the last main stronghold of the terrorist group in Iraq.
