MOSUL, Iraq 

More than 100 Daesh militants were killed in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, the war media network of Iraq's Defense Ministry announced early Wednesday.

It said F-16s bombed five Daesh positions in Mosul and approximately 40 militants were also injured during the attack.

On Oct. 18, the Iraqi army -- backed by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes -- launched a much-anticipated operation to retake Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, which Daesh overran in mid-2014.

While most villages on the city’s outskirts have since fallen, Daesh remains in control of Mosul, which is the last Daesh stronghold in northern Iraq.

Reporting by Safiye Karabacak : Writing by Diyar Guldogan