As in other towns that were recaptured, fighting continues in Mosul days after it was declared completely liberated. At least 22 fighting positions were destroyed in airstrikes on Thursday.
Meanwhile, in the days following the liberation, 380,000 residents of west Mosul were able to flee their destroyed neighborhoods. Conversely, about 160,000 of the 176,000 people who lived in east Mosul have safely returned home, but that half of the city was not as heavily bombarded as the western half and it was also liberated over six months ago in late January.
Security forces are said to be resting before moving on to Tal Afar, just west of Mosul.
Imam Gharbi has been mostly recaptured. Islamic State militants captured it three days ago after several days of fighting.
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says the United States cannot confirm the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. This week, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed it had confirmed his recent death in Syria. The Islamic State leader has been reported dead on several occasions.
At least 31 people were killed and seven were wounded:
In Baghdad, police have discovered at least 20 dumped bodies over the last three days. A bomb killed one policeman and wounded another.
Four farmers were wounded when their tractor hit a landmine in Ali Sara.
Two bombs in Sherwin wounded two security personnel.
In Badush, four militants were killed.
Four militants were killed in Sharqat.
Security personnel killed two militants in Imam Weis.
