A member of the Iraqi special forces Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) patrols a street with an armoured vehicle in Mosul's Al-Zahraa neighbourhood on January 7, 2017 during an ongoing military operation against the Islamic State (IS) group. AFP / Dimitar
BAGHDAD: Iraqi special forces reached the eastern bank of the Tigris in Mosul on Sunday for the first time in a U.S.-backed operation to drive Islamic State militants out of the city, a spokesman said.
Counter-terrorism service (CTS) troops fought their way to a bridge over the river which has been damaged in fighting, CTS spokesman Sabah al-Numan told Reuters.
