The Iraqi army says it has recaptured Nimrud, the site of an ancient city which was devastated by Islamic State.

In April 2015 IS released a video after it took control of the area near Mosul in northern Iraq, which showed priceless relics in the 3,000-year-old city being destroyed by militants.

The Iraqi military said: "Troops from the Ninth Armoured Division liberated Nimrud town completely and raised the Iraqi flag above its buildings."

April 2015: Nimrud Artefacts Destroyed

Nimrud was founded in the 13th century BC and contains one of the most famous archaeological sites in a country dubbed the cradle of civilisation.

:: 2015 - Islamic State's trail of historical oblivion


When IS captured the city its fighters smashing up ancient artefacts and blew up the Assyrian site.

The destruction was part of a campaign by IS against heritage sites under their control that also took in ancient Nineveh on the outskirts of Mosul, Hatra in the desert to the south and Palmyra in neighbouring Syria.

Image: Nimrud was home to some of the world's most important treasures

IS said shrines and statues were "false idols" that had to be smashed.

The United Nations described the act as a war crime, and it is unclear what still remains of Nimrud's ancient ruins.

Many of its monumental stone sculptures and reliefs were taken away for display in museums around the world, but some of the bigger structures remained in place when IS took control.

Image: Many of Nimrud's smaller artefacts were recovered before IS took control

Announcing that Nimrud had been recaptured, Iraq's Joint Operations Command (JOC) did not specifically mention the archaeological site, but it is located less than a mile from the town which bears its name.

And the Iraqis also say they retook the village of Numaniya, which is on the edge of the ancient city

As they push further towards Mosul, Iraqi troops say they are battling waves of suicide car bombers and heavy resistance from IS.

:: Hundreds dead in Islamic State 'killing field' near Mosul

The advance is continuing on several fronts on what is Iraq's second city, which has been held by IS since 2014.

College grounds used as IS mass execution site

Special forces hold a handful of urban areas on the outskirts of Mosul, and are planning to advance further in the coming hours.

But the advance over the past week has been slow in an effort to avoid casualties.

"The only weapons they have left are car bombs and explosives," said Iraqi special forces Major General Sami al-Aridi.

"There are so many civilian cars and any one of them could be a bomb."

Sky man on the frontline near Mosul

On Saturday, suicide car bombers killed a child and injured around a dozen troops and three civilians, officers said.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch says that Kurdish forces advancing against IS have destroyed Arab homes in the disputed areas of Kirkuk and Ninevah provinces, while Kurdish homes were left intact.

It says the demolitions took place in disputed areas in northern Iraq which the Kurds want to incorporate into an autonomous region of their own.