40 Daesh militants killed in Iraqi airstrike

The terrorists were killed near the al-Shura district in an airstrike carried out by Iraq, the defense ministry said in a statement.

The anti-terror air operations also destroyed four vehicles and five motorbikes, the statement said.

At least 13 Daesh militants were killed earlier in the day by a separate airstrike conducted by U.S.-led coalition aircraft, which targeted a Daesh concentration in the Hamam al-Alil district south of Mosul.

Last week, the Iraqi army, backed by a U.S.-led air coalition, launched a wide-ranging operation aimed at retaking Mosul, Daesh’s last stronghold in northern Iraq.

Daesh captured Mosul -- Iraq’s second largest city -- in mid-2014 before overrunning additional territory in the country’s northern and western regions.

While the Iraqi army and its local allies have since recovered much territory, the terror group remains in control of Mosul and several parts of western Anbar province.