Military vehicles of Peshmerga forces drive towards the town of Bashiqa, east of Mosul, during an operation to attack ISIS militants in Mosul, Iraq, November 7, 2016.

The Peshmerga Kurdish forces have claimed full control over Mosul’s Bashiqa on Monday, Al Arabiya News Channel’s correspondent reported.

The fighters have been exchanging heavy fire with ISIS militiants earlier in the day as they advanced from two directions on the town held by the armed group just 13km east of the city of Mosul.

Iraqi forces also retook a key town from ISIS on Monday, a crucial objective on the southern front of the offensive to wrest back the city of Mosul.

Federal police, army and elite interior ministry forces established full control over Hamam al-Alil, the last town of note on the way to Mosul from the south.

The recapture of the town clears the way for Iraqi forces to push further north and move to within striking distance of the southern neighbourhoods of Mosul.

Mosul’s southern approach is home to the international airport, a vast military area and a large base that Iraqi forces were forced to flee with IS took over the city in June 2014.

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