
This is the moment a giant explosion rocked the Mosul battlefield as ISIS terrorists detonated a suicide car bomb next to Iraqi forces after trying to ram a tank.

The footage comes amid warnings that jihadis are planning to fight back with suicide bombs and even chemical weapons as the offensive to reclaim and liberate the city from the terror group got underway earlier today.

A video from the scene, to the south east of the Iraqi city, shows a car carrying the suicide bombers speeding towards the Iraqi government forces positions before ramming a tank.

Footage taken from the south east of Mosul shows ISIS terrorists in a car come speeding towards Iraqi tanks and ramming into one

As the tanks try to flee, the car then blows up suddenly causing a giant explosion and sending a massive fireball into the air

The explosion comes as residents in Mosul say ISIS fighters are planning to use suicide bombers and chemical weapons during the battle for Mosul

As it gets closer, the Iraqi troops begin to drive away as they continue their advance towards Mosul.

However, one of the vehicles suddenly explodes sending a a fireball in the air and a plume of smoke.

Afterwards a blanket of smoke can be seen hanging in the air as the other vehicles continue to flee.

The Iraqi Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi spoke this morning to confirm troops had moved in to the northern city to liberate it from the control of the terror group.

Convoys of Iraqi, Kurdish and U.S. forces moved east of Mosul along the front line as U.S.-led coalition airstrikes sent plumes of smokes into the air and heavy artillery rounds could be heard.

Peshmerga forces attack ISIS positions in the Bertela region with a rocket launcher attached to the back of a pick-up truck

The Peshmerga troops cover their ears as the launch missiles from the rocket launcher during the offensive to liberate Mosul

Convoys of Iraqi, Kurdish and U.S. forces moved east of Mosul along the front line as U.S.-led coalition airstrikes sent plumes of smokes into the air and heavy artillery rounds could be heard

A Peshmerga convoy drives towards a frontline in Khazer,east of Mosul as the battle to liberate the city from ISIS began

Peshmerga forces located at Mosul's Zardak mountain attack ISIS with howitzers during an operation to retake the Iraqi city

The Peshmerga forces in the north are being aided by Iraqi government troops who are advancing on Mosul from the south

Already Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces have taken control of seven villages east of Mosul and they also control the main road linking the city with the Iraqi Kurdish regional capital, Irbil.

It is also believed that two would-be ISIS suicide bombers were 'neutralized' during the operations this morning.

And now civilians inside Mosul have reported that in recent days the terror group has prepared booby traps under bridges and hidden them inside potholes in the road.

Several areas have been blocked off with cement blast walls to funnel civilians into areas, where they can be used as human shields.

In addition the militants have also created a range of underground tunnels to shield fighters and transport equipment.

Peshmerga forces stand guard at Kargali village during an operation to liberate Mosul as they advance from the north east of Iraq

Smoke rises at Tercille village following an ISIS suicide car bomb attack as Peshmerga forces deployed on the Khazir front

The troops run and jump for cover after the suicide bombing. It is also believed that two would-be ISIS suicide bombers were 'neutralized' during the operations this morning

Kurdish security forces take up a position as they fight overlooking the Islamic State-controlled in villages surrounding Mosul

Smoke rises from Mosul's Bertela region after a coalition forces air strike on ISIS targets during the battle for Mosul

In response to the advancing troops, ISIS jihadists set fore to oil wells in the Kayyara region in Mosul

civilians inside Mosul have reported that in recent days the terror group has prepared booby traps under bridges and hidden them inside potholes in the road. Pictured are Peshmerga troops advancing on Mosul

Iraqi forces flash the sign for victory as they deploy in the area of al-Shourah, south of Mosul as they advance on the city

Peshmerga forces stand guard at Kargali village during an operation to liberate Mosul as they await their next orders

There are also fears ISIS could use mustard gas and 50,000 gas masks have been issued to Iraqi troops as a precaution.

The offensive was launched as it was reported that one of the main bridges in Mosul had been taken out in an airstrike.

According to CNN, witnesses warned the strikes took out al-Hurriya Bridge, but it is not clear who was responsible for the airstrikes.

Amaq, the news agency associated with ISIS, blamed American bombers.

A convoy of Kurdish Pesmerga vehicles drive towards the front line of battle today ahead of the operation to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul

The Iraqi military and the Kurdish forces say they have began operations to recapture the city from the south and the east

The Peshmerga troops line up their vehicles, many of them were driving regular cars and pick-up trucks rather than military vehicles

The Kurdish troops sit on the back of their pick-up trucks as they prepare to advance towards villages on the outskirts of Mosul

Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighters stand on top of a tank earlier today as their vehicles head closer into the centre of Mosul

The Peshmerga troops set up their weapons this morning so they can hold their lines when the operation to retake Mosul begins

Last night, the Peshmerga troops gathered around a fire as they discussed the preparations to retake Mosul from ISIS

Mosul is a key city in the ISIS network and the last bastion of power for the group in Iraq. Pictured are Peshmerga forces last night

The bridge is one of five connecting the two main parts of the city and its partial destruction makes any attempt of ISIS escape more difficult.

Meanwhile, people have been warned to seal their doors and windows and told the final battle could be a bloody one.

Four page leaflets were dropped across the city by Iraqi forces telling people to avoid certain parts of the city and declaring the offensive signals 'victory time'.

Mosul is a key city in the ISIS network and the last bastion of power for the group in Iraq.

The push to retake the city will be the largest military operation in Iraq since American troops left in 2011 and, if successful, the biggest blow yet to ISIS.

Ahmed al-Assadi, a lawmaker and spokesman for the militias, said: 'We promise you that victory is near and that it will be a great victory fitting with the greatness of Iraq and its history and its people.'

After lining up their vehicles last night in preparation for the battle, many of the troops slept on top of the tanks to get some rest

A Peshmerga fighter smokes a cigarette before the battle for Mosul. Iraqi forces began moving into Nineveh province to surround Mosul in July

The fighting is likely to become messy and boil down to street battles.

Iraqi forces began moving into Nineveh province to surround Mosul in July, when ground troops led by the country's elite special forces retook Qayara air base south of the city.

Thousands of Iraqi troops assembled there ahead of the planned operation. Iraqi troops are also being deployed east of Mosul in the Khazer area, along with Kurdish Peshmerga forces, and to the north of the city near the Mosul Dam and Bashiqa areas.

In addition to the Iraqi army, Kurdish Peshmerga forces, Iraqi special forces and Sunni tribal fighters, Shiite militia forces are also expected to play a role in the Mosul operation.

Iraqi forces gather in their vehciles in Irbil yesterday ahead of an operation to regain Mosul from ISIS in northern Iraq

A Sunni Iraqi policeman prays at the Qayyarah military base, about 35 miles south of Mosul yesterday while preparing for an offensive

Iraqi policemen inspect their weapons and make preparations yesterday, including drawing up key tactics, as they get ready for the next few days work

Smoke rises in the background from burning oil wells that were set on fire yesterday ahead of the battle for Mosul

While Iraqi forces have won a number of territorial victories against ISIS over the past year, the Mosul fight is expected to be the most complex yet for the country's military.

Elsewhere, rebel fighters on Saturday also captured the town of Dabiq in northern Syria - which holds huge symbolic value - from ISIS.

Turkish troops, part of what is known as Operation Euphrates Shield, and planes helped various rebel groups push ISIS - sometimes referred to as Daesh - out of Dabiq.

Dabiq holds crucial ideological importance for ISIS because of a Sunni prophecy that states it will be the site of an end-of-times battle between Christian forces and Muslims.

A US-made armoured combat vehicle is seen parked at the Qayyarah military base yesterday as tanks are lined up ready for battle

Iraqi policemen clean a weapon yesterday as 30,000 pro-government troops prepare to launch an attack on Mosul in Iraq

But Ahmed Osman, head of the Sultan Murad group, a faction of the Free Syrian Army, said: 'The Daesh myth of their great battle in Dabiq is finished.'

Some reports said ISIS put up 'minimal resistance' but others said there were 'fierce clashes'.

The town itself has negligible military value compared with the strategic ISIS-controlled cities of Raqqa in Syria and Mosul in Iraq.

A commander of the Hamza Brigade, a Syrian rebel group, said ISIS fighters put up 'minimal' resistance to defend Dabiq before withdrawing towards al-Bab, further south.

Saif Abu Bakr said 2,000 of his men pushed into Dabiq with tank and artillery support from the Turkish Army.

The Free Syrian Army were also involved in the operation.

The people of Mosul have been warned to prepare for the battle ahead by sealing their doors and windows or leaving the area

The battle is expected to be fought on the streets as militia groups take back the ISIS controlled city. Pictured is an Iraqi policeman yesterday unloading his ammunition

The key city of Mosul has been controlled by ISIS, sometimes called Daesh, for two years. Pictured are Iraqi policemen standing at attention with gas masks yesterday

According to Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency, the rebel fighters were working to dismantle mines laid in the town by retreating ISIS fighters.

Anadolu said nine Syrian rebels were killed and 28 others wounded during clashes on Saturday.

In the seventh century the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have said 'the last hour will not come' until Muslims vanquished the 'Romans' at Dabiq on their way to conquer 'Constantinople' (Istanbul).

Such is the significance of the town that ISIS's English language magazine is named Dabiq.

Iraqi policemen unload ammunition yesterday as they prepare for an offensive to retake Mosul from the Islamic State

Pictured, policemen yesterday inspect the weapons before the movement. The militias have regained much of the territory lost to ISIS in 2014 and 2015

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said rebels backed by Turkish planes and artillery 'captured Dabiq after ISIS members withdrew from the area'.

Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said the fighters also captured the nearby town of Sawran.

One Turkey-backed rebel faction, the Fastaqim Union, also said Dabiq had fallen 'after fierce clashes with Daesh.'

It published pictures on Twitter of a group of fighters on the back of a small white truck waving assault rifles in the air, with the town of Dabiq apparently in the background.

An Iraqi policeman tries on a gasmask at the militia base. A bridge in Mosul was taken out in an airstrike on the city on Sunday

An Iraqi policeman in his gasmask, as they prepare for the battle ahead, which government official say will be 'bloody'

It is not clear who took out the bridge, but the news agency associated with ISIS blamed US forces. Pictured, smoke billows in the background yesterday as Iraqi forces gather at the Qayyarah military base

Iraqi forces gesture and wave the V for Victory sign as they gather at the base. It has only been a short time since they took the symbolic town of Dabiq in Syria

Flags are waved from the military vehicles yesterday on the way to Mosul as the soldiers warn that there could be a bloody final battle