Iraqi forces said they had seized ground inside Mosul's Old City, a district expected to see some of the fiercest clashes in the battle for the IS stronghold. <br/><br/>An operation began on February 19 to retake Mosul's west, the IS group's last major urban bastion in the country. Iraqi forces said, they have since retaken several neighbourhoods despite bad weather that has hampered air support. <br/><br/>The fall of Mosul, Iraq's second city, will be a major setback for the terrorist group following months of losses in Iraq and neighbouring Syria. <br/><br/>