Iraqi forces recapture bridge amid advance to clear western Mosul from Daesh militants

Iraqi government forces on Saturday recaptured a bridge across the Tigris River from Islamic State (IS) militants in the old city in the western side of Mosul, a security source said, Xinhua reports.

"The federal police carried out a push at dawn in the southern part of the old city and managed to seize the foot of a strategic bridge across Tigris, locally known as Old Bridge," a federal police colonel said on condition of anonymity.

All of Mosul's five bridges, spanning the Tigris River to the city's eastern bank, were destroyed by airstrikes last year.