Hundreds of vehicles on Wednesday (June 27th) pushed into Mosul's rubble-strewn streets to begin a massive clean up campaign, nearly a year after the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) was pushed out of the city, AFP reported.

Largely silent since Iraqi forces fully recaptured the city on July 10th, Mosul's Old City awoke to the roar of trucks, bulldozers and excavators chugging though its debris-filled neighbourhoods.

"More than 300 transport cars and trucks took part" in the first day of the campaign to clear the Old City, said Jamal Sellu, director of engineering in Ninawa province.

"This is the first of its kind and there are more than 10 million tonnes of debris," he added.

Some of the ancient city's most narrow streets will have to be cleared by hand.

According to Ninawa governor Sultan Nawfal al-Akub, the clean-up operation will continue until Mosul's displaced return to their homes.

"We do not want these ruins anymore. We want water and electricity and to rebuild our homes," said Sabah Mahmoud, 53, who still has not returned home to Mosul.

As of October there were 700,000 Iraqis from in and around Mosul still displaced, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council.