Mosul battle: Iraqi forces launch 'second phase' of attack

Iraqi forces have launched the "second phase" of a major offensive to recapture Mosul from IS

Iraqi forces have launched a fresh wave of attacks against so-called Islamic State (IS) in Mosul, military officials say.

Troops are pushing into eastern districts in the "second phase" of an offensive to recapture the last major stronghold held by IS in Iraq.

The campaign marks an end to a lull in the fighting in recent weeks.

Iraqi forces have met bitter resistance since first entering Mosul's eastern suburbs last month.

The commander of the special forces in eastern Mosul, Lt Gen Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi, told AP news agency that the offensive was launched after troops had been bolstered by reinforcements.

He said that elite Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) troops had pushed into the built-up Karama district for the second time, after first entering the neighbourhood in November.

He added that as of Thursday, troops were less than 3km (2 miles) from the River Tigris, which divides the city.

On Monday, the last functioning bridge over the River Tigris was "disabled" by a US-led coalition air strike.

Video footage posted by the IS-supporting Amaq news agency appeared to show a collapsed section of the Old Bridge.

Mosul had five bridges shortly before pro-government forces launched its offensive to recapture the city.

The Old Bridge in Mosul, which the Amaq news agency said was hit by an air strike

The UN has warned that the destruction of the city's bridges could hamper the evacuation of the more than a million civilians.

The offensive to recapture the city of Mosul was launched on 17 October, more than two years after jihadists overran the city before seizing control of much of northern and western Iraq.

But progress slowed as troops were targeted by snipers, suicide bombers and shellfire.

Iraqi security forces, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, Sunni Arab tribesmen and Shia militiamen, assisted by US-led coalition warplanes and military advisers, have been involved in the operation.

More than 100,000 people have fled their homes in and around Mosul and UN officials are warning that this figure is likely to rise as pro-government forces press further into the city.

BBC Contributed to this report.