Baghdad
The forces, backed by tribal fighters, recaptured the villages of Um al-Qorun and al-Tayesh from Islamic State south of Mosul, Colonel Dureed Saeed, a commander in the Mosul operation, added.
"The liberation operation has resulted in killing four suicide bombers and 12 other fighters from Daesh," he told DPA, using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State.
Saeed added that the villages of Abbas Rajab and al-Numania southeast of Mosul were also recaptured from IS after government forces and tribal fighters battled the militants there.
"Most Daesh leaders in both villages were killed amid fierce clashes," the officer added without giving a figure about potential casualties among Iraqi forces.
Iraq has reported territorial gains in the US-backed Mosul mission since it started on October 17.
Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, has been under Islamic State control since mid-2014.
