Iraq forces using drones to hit Islamic State targets in Mosul's Old City as combat intensifies

MOSUL, IRAQ – Iraqi forces said Monday that they have taken more territory from jihadists and were searching for militants and bombs on the edge of the Old City as they press an offensive in west Mosul. They are also striking IS with armed drones as part of a renewed push launched on March 5 that has forced the jihadis out of several neighborhoods and key sites, including the famed Mosul museum. West Mosul is the most-populated urban area still held by the jihadis, followed by Syria's Raqa, which is also a key target in the U.S.-led anti-IS campaign. Iraq's Joint Operations Command announced additional gains on Monday, saying that forces from the elite Counter-Terrorism Service had recaptured the Al-Nafat and Mosul al-Jadida neighborhoods. Lt. Gen. Raed Shakir Jawdat said that forces from the Rapid Response Division, another special forces unit, and the federal police were working to search and clear territory on the edge of Mosul's Old City.