By Ahmed Qasim and Mohamed Walid

NINEVEH, Iraq

Nine Iraqi forces were killed on Sunday in clashes with Daesh militants amid an ongoing offensive to recapture the northern city of Mosul from the terrorist group, according to an Iraqi officer.

The casualties occurred when Iraqi forces advanced into Adan neighborhood, a Daesh bastion in eastern Mosul, caption Azzam al-Obeidi, an officer in Iraq’s anti-terrorism forces, told Anadolu Agency.

“Government forces were met with fierce resistance from the militants, who used car-bombs and snipers to hinder the advancing forces,” he said.

According to al-Obeidi, nine government forces were killed and 21 others in deadly clashes with Daesh militants in the neighborhood.

“The violence has also left 33 militants dead and scores injured,” he said.

The Iraqi officer said government forces have managed to liberate one-third of the Adan neighborhood from Daesh militants.

“Our forces are working to clear the district from the terrorist group,” he added.

Last month, the Iraqi army -- backed by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes and local allies on the ground -- began a wide-ranging operation to retake Mosul, Daesh’s last stronghold in northern Iraq.

Once Iraq’s second largest city in terms of population, Mosul was overrun by the terrorist group -- along with large parts of the country’s northern and western regions -- in mid-2014.