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British special forces are leading a secret Coalition mission to snatch Islamic State commanders before a major assault on Mosul in Iraq.

Since the operation began three weeks ago, three mid-ranking ISIS warlords have been seized in lightning attacks headed by the SAS .

Prisoners are being handed over to Kurdish and Iraqi security officials for interrogation. It is part of a plan to unnerve the enemy before an assault on the stricken city in the north.

A senior source said: “There are a wide range of activities taking place around Mosul which allows our commanders to shape the dispositions of enemy forces prior to any engagement.

Read more:'More British troops will be sent to Iraq to fight ISIS'

“Seizing enemy commanders has always been a key driver in changing the way your opponent thinks, it will unsettle them and may force them to make mistakes.

“From our point of view killing the enemy is not always the answer.

“If we can get a commander to change sides, as we did in Afghanistan, this can have major influence on people inside Mosul and save lives.”

Read more:ISIS relying on 'Dad's Army' of ageing recruits

US Defence Secretary Ash Carter has approved the deployment of 16 Apache helicopters to support the operation against Mosul.

More than 20 British special forces men – most of them in the SAS and under US command – have been involved in the snatch missions. Night-time raids have involved SAS, US and Australian special forces sneaking in on foot.

(Image: Rex)

In others, British-trained Iraqi special forces men, dressed as locals, drove into the target area, killed the guards and then the SAS went in to help snatch a commander.

A source said: “The SAS are at the heart of this operation but it is very important that much of the credit goes to the Iraqis to bolster their standing.

“The Iraqi Army was disgraced when IS stormed northern Iraq and they need a boost to their reputation – exactly the same thing has happened in Afghanistan, where British troops mentor local operations.”

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Sources say British ­security officials are barred from handling or taking part in any interrogations. However, the Mirror understands officers from MI6 and MI5 are in the area to receive any new information.

The initiative comes as the UK considers sending more troops to support the training of Iraqi and Kurdish forces in northern Iraq, where almost 47,000 Arab soldiers have completed training. But the threat from IS is still “high” and this week a US Navy SEAL officer was killed.