Watch: Dramatic video of Mosul battle, reporters escape explosions

Iraqi and Kurdish forces backed by a US-led coalition launched a multi-pronged assault this week to retake Mosul and surrounding areas from Islamic State militant group. Elite troops have been closing in on the last jihadist bastion in Iraq in a long-anticipated offensive.

Iraqi and Kurdish forces backed by a US-led coalition launched a multi-pronged assault this week to retake Mosul and surrounding areas from the Islamic State militant group.

Iraqi army gather after the liberation a village from Islamic State militants, south of Mosul, during an operation to attack Islamic State militants in Mosul, Iraq. (REUTERS)

Elite troops have been closing in on the last jihadist bastion in Iraq in a long-anticipated offensive. The operation is the largest undertaken by the Iraqi military since the 2003 US-led invasion.

Britain’s ITV NEWS has caught a glimpse of the intense fighting on camera. A team of reporters narrowly escaped suicide bombers as the battle raged. Check out the dramatic footage, which was posted on Twitter, here: