Iraqi forces have taken two more villages on the outskirts of Mosul as the campaign to retake the Islamic State-controlled city enters its second week.

After shelling IS positions near the Christian town of Bartella, special forces pushed into Tob Zawa - about five and a half miles from Mosul.

Their arrival allowed more than 30 people who had been sheltering in a school to escape the violence.

Elsewhere, the Iraqi federal police entered a small village south of Mosul in the Shura district, using a large anti-aircraft gun and rocket-propelled grenades to battle IS militants.

After appearing to secure the area they handed out aid supplies to local civilians.


Image: An Iraqi soldier looks across the Shura district south of Mosul

Islamic State, meanwhile, has executed five Iraqis, including members of the security forces, according to an army officer.

The killings came as IS forces continued an attack on the town of Rutba in the western province of Anbar.

It is another apparent attempt by IS to divert attention from the Iraqi offensive on its Mosul stronghold.

The attack on Rutba, from three sides, began on Sunday. It had been under IS control since 2014, but was taken back into government hands four months ago.

Video released by AMAQ, the IS news agency, showed Iraqi positions coming under heavy fire.

Image: Iraqi forces examine a damaged mosque in the Shura district

Unconfirmed reports by IS claimed several groups of fighters had infiltrated the town, setting off two car bombs, while other militants attacked the outskirts.

Jihadist fighters briefly seized the mayor's office before being pinned back, with Iraqi forces claiming they had destroyed 12 IS vehicles, killing their occupants.

But IS fighters are still active in some neighbourhoods of the town.

An army colonel said: "They captured people, civilians and policemen, and executed them. At least five people were executed."

Image: Islamic State fighters attack the town of Rutba. Pic: Amaq news agency

:: Does town liberated from Islamic State forecast Mosul horrors?

In recent months, Iraq has retaken a lot of ground from IS in Anbar, which is a Sunni province bordering Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

On Friday, dozens of IS fighters launched an attack on the Kurdish-controlled city of Kirkuk which killed at least 80 people, most of them members of the security forces.

Image: Iraq claims IS executed five people during the attack. Pic: Amaq news agency

And on Monday, Iraqi officials said a series of small bombings in Baghdad killed 11 civilians and wounded 35

Meanwhile, thousands of Iraqi troops and their Kurdish peshmerga allies are meeting strong resistance from IS as they approach Mosul.

Progress has been hampered by suicide bombings and improvised explosive devices.

Peshmerga fighters are attacking the key town of Bashiqa, which is only eight miles (12km) from Mosul and lies on a key supply route.

Explosive traps left by IS in liberated town of Bartella

The outcome of the battle for Mosul is likely to shape Iraq once IS is removed, with groups involved in the offensive demanding more autonomy from Baghdad.

It is home to up to 1.5 million people, and has been the headquarters of IS's self-declared caliphate in northern Iraq since 2014.