Frontline VIDEO: Iraqi Elite Forces Liberated Bartella near Mosul from ISIS Militants

Major General Maan al-Saadi, of the Iraqi Special Forces, stated on Thursday that Bartella had been liberated.

Roadside bombs and other improvised explosive devices pose a particular danger to advancing Iraqi forces.

The Islamic State (ISIS / Daesh / ISIL) terrorist group, which has occupied Mosul for more than two years, has prepared extensive defenses in and around the city.

As they charged towards the town of Bartella, nine miles (15 km) east of Mosul, the Iraqi Special Forces faced armored trucks packed with explosives and driven by suicide bombers.

The Special Forces are expected to lead the way into Mosul, where they will face fierce resistance in an urban landscape where ISIS militants are preparing for a climactic battle.