UN special representative to Iraq Yan Kubish told the UN Security Council on Wednesday that 58,000 deaths had been recorded in Iraq since Daesh first took control of Mosul in 2014, up until September 2016.
Kubish said that 4446 civilians have been killed, with 9387 wounded from January 2016 until the September 30.
Iraqi security forces were gearing up to advance to the southern edge of Mosul near the city’s airport, after retaking Hammam al-Alil, a town about 10 miles south of Mosul on Monday.
Police commander Major-General Thamer al-Husseini said, "We need to put wider pressure on the enemy in different areas."
The Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) has also reported that the Mosul suburb of Zahra has been liberated.
One returning resident said, "I'm very happy. I can't believe that we're over this terrible nightmare, but we're still frightened that Daesh might return."
