23 soldiers killed in Mosul fighting: Iraqi officer

By Ahmed Qassim and Mohamed Walid

NINEVEH, Iraq (AA) – At least 23 Iraqi soldiers were killed in deadly clashes with Daesh militants in Mosul's Old City in the past 48 hours, according to a local police officer.

Rapid Response officer Mahmud al-Saadi said the Daesh terrorist group still controls small pockets in Mosul's Old City.

"We lost 23 soldiers, including five officers, in the past two days," he told Anadolu Agency on Sunday.

Meanwhile, three Daesh militants were killed and another was captured as they attempted to flee western Mosul, according to police officer Osama al-Ameri.

Since October, the Iraqi forces, backed by a U.S.-led air coalition, have been trying to dislodge Daesh from Mosul, the terrorist group's last stronghold in northern Iraq.