Brig. Abdul Aziz Reza al-Moussawi said: "Iraqi police’s rapid reaction forces have captured the runway of the Mosul airport.”

The airport is located at a strategic location and gives an opening to the southern entrance of Mosul, about 465 kilometers (289 miles) north of the capital, Baghdad. 

"Our forces are currently combing the area for roadside bombs and car bombs with the aim of reaching the airport lounge," al-Moussawi said.

In a separate operation, Iraqi army backed by the U.S.-led coalition attacked the Al-Ghazlani camp, which is said to be the largest military camp of ISIL terrorist group in Mosul, an army official told Anadolu Agency.

Iraqi army’s Nayef al-Zubaidi said: "This is the first mission done by the [army’s] counter terrorism since the start of military operations to retake the western side on Sunday.”

Al-Zubaidi said “many positions inside the camp were shelled before it was stormed by Iraqi forces.”

On Sunday, the Iraqi army began a wide-ranging operation aimed at purging remaining ISIL terrorists from Mosul’s western districts.

The offensive comes as part of a wider operation launched last October to retake the entire city, which ISIL overran in mid-2014.