VIDEO: Iraqi forces control Gogjaly area, government TV in eastern Mosul

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Forces on Tuesday continued their advance toward the Mosul city center, as civilians began fleeing Islamic State (IS) controlled areas inside the city.

In a statement released Tuesday, the Counter-Terrorism Forces said they were in full control over the Gogjaly area, three kilometers east of Mosul, after fierce fighting with IS extremists.

“The Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Forces controlled the Gogjaly area in eastern Mosul in the midday and raised the Iraqi flag in the area,” the statement read.

Additionally, reports emerged earlier that the Special Forces had taken control over of a government television building in the Karama neighborhood inside Mosul.

As Iraqi forces continue to push the extremists inside the Mosul limits, more civilians started fleeing IS controlled areas surrounding the city.

Footage by Kurdistan24 shows convoys of civilians leaving areas controlled by insurgents.

The displaced people will be transferred to camps in the Peshmerga controlled areas of the Kurdistan Region.

According to a press release by the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Joint Crisis Coordination Centre (JCC) on Oct. 26, 861 families (5,490 individuals) had been displaced since the start of the Mosul operation.

Moreover, the KRG press release informed that the displaced were transferred to camps in Erbil and Duhok.

JCC expects a larger-scale of displacement to begin once the forces advance to the greater populated areas near Mosul in the upcoming days.

On Oct. 31, the Iraqi army and Special Operations Forces launched a renewed offensive from three front lines against IS in Mosul.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany