The Islamic State (Isil) has launched an “unprecedented” wave of suicide bombers, some of whom are children, against advancing Iraqi forces as the jihadist group struggles to hold on to its city stronghold of Mosul.

More than a hundred suicide bombers have hurled themselves at Iraqi troops since the Mosul offensive began on October 17, a rate of self-annihilation never before seen even by the extreme standards of Isil.

“The amount of people killing themselves is unprecedented. It’s completely different from anything we’ve seen before,” said Charlie Winter, a senior fellow at the ICSR think tank who tracks the use of suicide bombers.