In Iraq, special forces have recaptured six districts of eastern Mosul and battled their way into another suburb in the northern city held for more than two years by the Islamic State (IS) terror group. An officer in the elite Counter Terrorism Service said, troops have launched a major operation against the IS terrorists who are now almost surrounded in their last major urban redoubt in Iraq. <br/><br/>Military spokesman, Lt Gen Abdel-Wahab al-Saadi said, IS is putting up stiff resistance and using snipers, car bombs and directed missiles. The battle to drive the IS terrorists out is the biggest ground operation in Iraq since the US invasion in 2003, and is likely to decide the fate of the self-proclaimed Islamic State caliphate that has defied the world for two years. <br/><br/>Meanwhile, the UN has said IS terrorists are increasing mass killings and abductions of civilians to shield themselves from air strikes.