Islamic State jihadists are forcing children and disabled people into explosives-laden trucks and making them drive at Iraqi security forces in Mosul, a general from the US-led coalition has said.

The barbaric tactic, coupled with other increasingly desperate battlefield measures, is a sign the IS group knows defeat is inevitable, officials say.

The jihadists have used exploding trucks, known in military circles as VBIEDs -- vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices -- and pronounced "Vee-Bids," to devastating effect in numerous engagements during the Mosul offensive and elsewhere in Iraq.

Speaking to AFP and other reporters in Baghdad this week, US Air Force Brigadier General Matt Isler said the IS group had adopted coercive new techniques in its use of suicide car bombs because the jihadists appear to be running out of willing drivers.

"We saw people being led to a VBIED, being put in (it) and being chained in the VBIED," he said.

"We've seen children put in VBIEDs as drivers, people that aren't able to walk... I don't know if they signed up for this service."

The coalition has often seen VBIEDs depart on missions, only for their drivers to veer off course and attempt to hide behind structures.

"We see a VBIED going to its attack, going off and hiding," Isler said.

"We see a party going to find the AWOL VBIED driver, we see (IS) command and control trying to figure out where their VBIED driver's gone, we've seen multiple VBIED drivers going AWOL."

The coalition first saw drivers being chained into trucks when Iraqi security forces approached the Tigris river as they cleared eastern Mosul, Isler said.

- IS drones -

The operation to free Iraq's second city of IS control began in October. After clearing the east side, Iraqi forces on Sunday launched an operation aimed at flushing the jihadists from Mosul's west bank.

On Thursday, they thrust into Mosul airport on the southern edge of the IS stronghold for the first time since the jihadists overran the region in 2014.

Iraqi troops backed by jets, helicopter gunships and drones blitzed their way across open areas south of Mosul before entering the airport compound. Although they apparently met limited resistance, they strafed the area for suspected snipers.

As its fighters are killed off and it loses ground, the IS group has developed new ways to counter-strike, including by steering hobby drones fitted with grenades and bombs at troops and civilians.

The buzz of the small, pilotless aircraft now puts soldiers on guard, but their impact has been limited.

"It has a harassing effect, but it's not a game changer," New Zealand Brigadier Hugh McAslan said.

The coalition officers said the most the IS group can hope to do now is fight "delaying actions" ahead of losing Mosul.

"Defeat's inevitable," McAslan said. "It's just when."

Turkey says in 'near complete control' of Syria's Al-Bab
Istanbul (AFP) Feb 23, 2017 - Turkish armed forces and allied rebels have almost total control of the Syrian flashpoint town of Al-Bab after entering the centre of the former jihadist stronghold, the defence minister said Thursday.

"It's been a long time since we came to Al-Bab but today we can say that near complete control has been taken of Al-Bab and the city centre has been entered," Turkish Defence Minister Fikri Isik said, quoted by the state-run Anadolu news agency.

Turkey and allied pro-Ankara rebels have since last year been seeking to oust Islamic State (IS) jihadists from Al-Bab, encountering heavy resistance and sustaining heavy casualties.

But several Syrian rebel groups had earlier said the town had finally been captured from the jihadists.

Isik said: "When the search and combing operations are over, we will be able to say that Al-Bab has been completely cleared of Daesh (IS) elements.

"This does not need too much more time. As of today, the city centre has been entered and search and combing operations (for remaining jihadists) launched."

Isik reaffirmed that Turkey was now ready to join any operation by international coalition forces to take the Syrian city of Raqa, the de-facto capital of the extremist group.

But he insisted such a campaign must not include Kurdish militia seen as a terror group by Ankara but regarded as Washington as the best fighting force against IS.

Isik said that such an operation should include the pro-Ankara rebels -- who Turkey calls the Free Syrian Army (FSA) -- and Raqa's own residents.

"Turkey would be able to provide such a coalition operation with the necessary support," he said.

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Syria rebels say Al-Bab captured from IS jihadists
Beirut (AFP) Feb 23, 2017
Turkish-backed Syrian rebels said Thursday they had fully captured the town of Al-Bab from the Islamic State group, marking a key defeat for the jihadists after weeks of heavy fighting. As Ankara said its allies now had "near complete control", the rebel announcement came on the opening day of peace talks between the Syrian opposition and regime in Geneva. Al-Bab, just 25 kilometres (15 ... read more

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