Sixty terrorists of the Islamic State (IS) group lost their lives during clashes with the Iraqi Forces in the provinces of Nineveh and Salahuddin, the Press TV information website reported, citing Iraqi commander Abdulamir Rashid Yarallah.

According to Yarallah, 42 IS terrorists were killed by airstrikes of Iraqi fighter jets in A’alabyeh and Kheybarat villages, as well as in the al-Mahlabyeh district in western Mosul, in the Iraqi province of Nineveh.

Meanwhile, 18 IS terrorists were killed, while 21 others were wounded during fierce clashes between the terrorist group and Iraqi troops in the eastern areas of Salahuddin province.

At the same time, the US-led coalition’s air power carried out several airstrikes on an IS camp in Qa’em town, located in the western province of Anbar. As a result, at least 16 terrorists were killed and their camp was totally destroyed.

On Saturday, an improvised explosive device was blown up by terrorists in 40 kilometers to the north of Salahuddin province. As a result, three civilians were killed, while six others were wounded.

In addition, IS terrorists launched several mortar attacks on residential areas in western Mosul. At least seven civilians were killed and 21 others, including officers of the Iraqi Security Forces, were injured.

Last Sunday, the Iraqi Army announced that all districts of the eastern part of Mosul are liberated from IS terrorists. On Friday, the Anadolu news agency reported, citing an official of the International Red Crescent (IRC), Iyad Rafid, that during the past two days, almost 5,200 people have returned to their homes in the eastern parts of the city.

“Some 5,200 people have departed the Al-Khazir and Hassan Sham camps [east of Mosul] and returned to the city’s liberated eastern neighborhoods,” Rafid said.

According to reports, IRC workers have stepped up their activity in the liberated eastern part of Mosul. As director of the IRC’s branch in Nineveh province Zaki Yakoub noted, “IRC teams have distributed more than 800 food packages among residents of Mosul’s eastern al-Mithaq district.”

Currently, the Iraqi forces and their allies are preparing to start a new phase of operations against the IS in western Mosul.

According to Iraqi Minister of Displacement and Migration, Jassim al-Jaff, the Iraqi government expects that from 200,000 to 250,000 people will leave western Mosul, when clashes between the Iraqi forces and the terrorist group intensify. At the same time, the UN said that about 750,000 civilians are trapped in the area.