As Iraqi forces draw closer to Mosul, "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL) leaders and fighters have begun to evacuate their homes and smuggle their families out of the city, Iraqi officials say.

Iraqi Defence Minister Khalid al-Obeidi said ISIL leaders and their families have sold their belongings and fled Mosul towards Syria as Iraqi forces close in, AFP reported Sunday (July 31st).

Some also sought to infiltrate the Kurdish region, al-Obeidi said during an interview on Iraqiya television which was broadcast Saturday night.

Joint Iraqi forces have made significant gains in the campaign to retake Mosul, most notably liberating al-Qayyara airbase to the south of the city, a strategic military position controlled by the group.

The Iraqi army's gains in Fallujah and areas south of Mosul have had a huge impact on the morale of ISIL fighters in Mosul, causing them to loosen their grip on the city, said Ninawa provincial council deputy head Noureddine Qablan.

Local residents have become more daring in confronting ISIL and have started talking openly about their discontent with its oppressive practices, he told Diyaruna.

This has created an atmosphere that raises the probability of a popular uprising in Mosul, Tal Afar, and all other areas under ISIL control, he added.

The level of co-operation and reporting of intelligence between residents and the army has risen significantly in recent weeks, he said, strengthening the security forces' ability to target enemy positions.

"They have started to think about saving themselves and their families, knowing for sure that the final hour is coming," Qablan said, addressing reports that ISIL elements are evacuating their homes in Mosul.

ISIL has begun shutting down its al-Hesba centres ("religious police") across the city and has been cutting off Internet service out of fear that residents are communicating with Iraqi forces, the joint operations command said.

State of breakdown

ISIL's ability to fight and manoeuvre on the battlefield also has greatly declined in the last few days, in comparison with the first day of the operation that kicked off March 25th, according to the Ninawa Operations Command.

"Resistance now has weakened dramatically," said Brig. Gen. Firas Bashar Sabri, media officer of Ninawa Operations Command.

The liberation of al-Awsaja is a good example, he said, as it took Iraqi forces just an hour and a half to get into the village, compared with up to eight hours it took the army to break into any of the southern Mosul villages four months ago.

"The recent fighting shows you that ISIL's fighting ability has become very weak, while the Iraqi army's ability has been growing and its fighters' morale is rising from one battle to another," he said.

The breakdown in ISIL has been caused by the great popular resentment against it by city residents, said Sheikh Khalid al-Jabouri, commander of al-Jabour tribes battling ISIL in Ninawa.

ISIL leaders know people will take up arms against them once the Iraqi forces are close to Mosul, he told Diyaruna, adding that the group has no base of public support.

He expressed his concern that the group could take revenge on the residents and take them hostage in its losing battle in Mosul, calling on the Iraqi army to take all these threats into consideration.