Baghdad, June 10 (IANS): Militants took full control of Iraq's second largest city of Mosul, the capital of Nineveh province, after security forces withdrew from the city, an official said Tuesday.
"The gunmen took control of the left and right sides of Mosul except for small pockets," Xinhua quoted the official as saying.
The left and right sides of the city refer to east and west banks of the Tigris River which bisects the city of Mosul, some 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.
The official said that the top army officers who came recently from Baghdad to supervise the battles suddenly withdrew with their troops from the left side which was under control of the security forces.
Earlier, a police source said that the militants gained more ground and quickly expanded the areas which earlier were under their control in western Mosul, the source added.
Violent clashes broke out Friday between the Iraqi security forces and hundreds of gunmen who took control of several neighbourhoods in the western part of Mosul.
On Saturday, bodies of 21 policemen, who were earlier kidnapped by the militants, were found in the city.
On Sunday, at least 38 people were killed and 15 injured during the clashes.