Iraqi army units have cleared four more neighbourhoods of western Mosul from explosives and mines left behind by the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS), Iraq's Joint Operations Command said Monday (August 7th).

About 1,400 tonnes of explosives and dangerous materials have been removed as part of an army operation to clear the city before allowing residents to return, the command said.

"The army's engineering and anti-explosives units have dismantled 136 houses and shops rigged with explosives and 79 parked vehicles, and removed more than 200 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and landmines from al-Kharzaj, al-Hadid, al-Jaghifi, the vicinity of al-Nouri Mosque and al-Fattah Street," command spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasul said.

"Operations are under way to ensure that all explosives and weapons left behind by ISIS have been removed before allowing rehabilitation teams from the electricity and municipalities ministries to enter," he added.

"The working hours have been extended to include overnight work to accelerate the accomplishment of the mission," he said.