Thousands of Iraqi soldiers are seen preparing fresh blast on ISIS in terror capital Mosul – as clashes with jihadis cut off food and water supplies to the city

Coalition airstrikes blocked the terror group from launching suicide attacks across the key Iraqi city

Holly Christodoulou

Published: 0:03, 1 Dec 2016
Updated: 15:56, 1 Dec 2016

IRAQI forces prepared themselves for a fresh attack against Islamic State militants in Mosul after it emerged they have reclaimed 19 neighbourhoods from the terror group.

A new wave of coalition air strikes blocked IS from launching suicide attacks across the key Iraqi city today.

Iraqi fighters prepared for war as they pushed to reclaim Mosul from Islamic StateCredit: Getty Images

Armed with weapons, the fighters sprayed bullets near the village of Tal AbtahCredit: Getty Images

Iraqi soldiers travelled in tanks as they advanced on IS militantsCredit: Getty Images

The missions have been used by IS fighters trying to fend off Iraqi forces.

Strikes have disabled four of the five bridges linking east and west Mosul, and peppered roads used by IS with craters, making them impassable.

Pictures released earlier today show Iraqi forces readying themselves for war as they push to recapture the jihadists' last major IS stronghold in Iraq.

The battle to retake Mosul began October 17 as coalition-backed Iraqi forces pushed towards the IS strongholdCredit: Getty Images

The government last month launched a massive campaign to retake Mosul from ISCredit: Getty Images

An Iraqi soldier prepares to battle IS extremists to reclaim MosulCredit: Getty Images

Soldiers armed with machine guns sprayed bullets as they advanced towards the village of Tal Abtah, south of Tal Afar.

Others rode in trucks flanked with flags as they continued their battle to retake Mosul.

The battle to retake Mosul began October 17, with coalition-backed Iraqi security forces pushing toward the city.

Senior Iraqi commander Brig. Gen. Haider Fadhil said his men were now just over two miles away from the Tigris river, which slices the city in half.

He said the 19 neighbourhoods reclaimed constituted less than 30 per cent of the part of the city east of the Tigris.

The government last month launched a massive campaign to retake Mosul from IS.

Nearly half of all children in Mosul lack access to clean waterCredit: Getty Images

Weapons lined up against military vehicles south of Tal AfarCredit: Getty Images

Shiite fighters take a break as they continue their advance towards Islamic State militantsCredit: Getty Images

The offensive was launched on multiple fronts, but most of the fighting has to date been concentrated in the city's eastern sector, with Iraq's special forces taking the lead.

It comes as a shocking new report found nearly half of all children in Mosul lack access to clean water.

The Iraqi Shiite fighters are from the Hashed al-ShaabiCredit: Getty Images

A fighter shows off his weapons during the broad offensive by Iraq forces to retake the city Mosul from Islamic StateCredit: Getty Images

The Iraqi forces have so far claimed 19 neighbourhoods back from Islamic StateCredit: Getty Images

Almost 500,000 of those left amid the ruins are estimated to be children – the same population as Manchester.

And a great number of those remain without water in what the United Nations has called a “catastrophe”.

Many face the life-of-death decision of whether to drink unsafe water that can cause horrendous illnesses such as diarrhoea or cholera.

The Sun is supporting the AMAR Foundation, which works with the innocent children of Mosul to ensure they have access to clean food, water and shelter.

To donate, visit The Sun’s Smiles at Christmas campaign page.

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