NINEVEH, Iraq

Two Iraqi soldiers were killed in clashes with Daesh militants in western Mosul, an Iraqi officer said Monday.

Deadly clashes erupted between anti-terrorism forces and Daesh militants in Al-Tanak and Al-Thawra districts in the city's western side, Army Captain Jabbar Hassan told Anadolu Agency.

"Two members of the anti-terrorism forces were killed in the clashes," he said.

Hassan said Iraqi forces have made rapid advances in Al-Tanak district. "We are expected to liberate the area today," he said.

In February, Iraqi ground forces -- backed by a U.S.-led air coalition -- began fresh operations aimed at ousting Daesh from western Mosul, the terrorist group’s last bastion in northern Iraq.

The offensive is part of a wider campaign launched last October to retake the entire city, which Daesh overran in mid-2014.

Reporting by Ali Jawad;Writing by Ali H. M.Abo Rezeg