Coalition airstrike kills 11 Daesh militants in Mosul

By Ahmed Qasim and Ibrahim Salih

NINEVEH, Iraq (AA) – A U.S.-led coalition airstrike killed 11 Daesh militants in western Mosul on Monday, according to an Iraqi officer.

An F-16 fighter struck a house where Daesh militants were meeting in Al-Zanjili district in the city's western side, Air Force officer Maen Abdullah told Anadolu Agency.

He said a senior Daesh leader, who identified as Ihsan Mullah, was among those killed in the strike.

"A civilian was also killed and a child injured in the raid," the officer said.

In February, Iraqi ground forces -- backed by U.S.-led coalition air power -- began fresh operations to expel Daesh militants from western Mosul, the terrorist group’s last stronghold in northern Iraq.

The ongoing offensive is part of a wider campaign launched last October with the aim of retaking the entire city, which Daesh overran in mid-2014.