Abdulwahab al-Saadi

The Iraqi military announced on Thursday that special forces had recaptured the iconic Mosul mosque where jihadist chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi made his only known public appearance, AFP reported.

A top special forces commander told AFP that while the Nuri mosque - which was blown up by the Islamic State group last week -- was close to being recaptured, it had not been retaken yet.

Iraq's huge offensive to retake Tikrit from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is being stalled by bombs planted by the jihadists holding out in the city, a militia spokesman said Tuesday.