Al-Abadi made the remarks in capital Baghdad while attending a graduation ceremony for police cadets.

Speaking on the sidelines of the ceremony, the prime minister said his government planned to press ahead with "the fight against extremism, over which we have registered numerous victories, liberating our cities one after the next".

"Our troops are now advancing on Mosul with a view to retaking the city from ISIL’s extremist gangs," he asserted.

Al-Abadi has repeatedly vowed to recapture Mosul -- Iraq’s second largest city -- from ISIL, which overran it in mid-2014.  

Iraqi forces hope to first secure areas surrounding the city, located some 400 kilometers north of Baghdad, before mounting a broad offensive aimed at its recapture.

Late last month, Iraqi security forces announced the "total liberation" of the city of Fallujah from ISIL following a month-long military operation.

Located along the Firat (Euphrates) River some 50 kilometers west of Baghdad, Fallujah is one of the western Anbar province’s largest cities.