Iraqi security forces launched an operation against the Islamic State (IS) extremist militants and retook control of four villages on Saturday in south of the major IS stronghold in Mosul, the capital of Iraq's northern province of Nineveh, a military senior official said.

The security forces, backed by heavy support from the U.S.-led coalition aircraft, started their advance late on Friday night against the IS positions in villages scattered at the western bank of Tigris River near the militant-seized town of Qayyara, some 50 km south of Mosul, Major General Najim al-Jubouri, commander of Free Nineveh Operations Command, told Xinhua.

After hours of heavy clashes with the extremist militants, the troops managed on Saturday morning to recapture the villages of Imam Gharbi, al-Mreir, al-Tal'ah and al-Bazajlah, leaving more than 57 IS militants killed, including seven suicide bombers, Jubouri said.

"The international coalition aircraft conducted more than 30 airstrikes against the IS positions and destroyed at least seven of their vehicles," Jubouri added.

The recapture of the villages came as the security forces are preparing to carry out operation to drive out the IS militants from the town of Qayyara as part of a major offensive aimed at liberating the last major IS stronghold in Mosul, some 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.

In Iraq's western province of Anbar, at least 10 IS militants were killed when the international warplanes conducted airstrikes on IS positions in Jazirat al-Ramadi area, a sprawling agricultural land to the north of the provincial capital city of Ramadi, which itself located some 110 km west of Baghdad, a provincial security source told Xinhua.

The attacks against the extremist militants in the province was part of an offensive designed to drive out the IS militants from the rural areas in north of Euphrates River after the government troops and allied militias reclaimed key cities and towns, including Ramadi and Fallujah, the source said.

Iraq has witnessed worsening violence since the IS took control of parts of its northern and western regions in June 2014. Endit

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