This information agency Reuters.
As noted, the An-Nuri mosque and its al-Khadba minaret were blown up by terrorists when the Iraqi military advanced into the city.
At the same time, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi called this incident the official recognition of the defeat by the militants.
In turn, the military said that taking the mosque under the control of government units would greatly damage the morale of the militants.
Note that the mosque "An-Nuri" was built in the XII century. Its minaret "Humpbacked", which was also destroyed, was the only part of the mosque, preserved since the time of construction.
Recall, as previously reported by URA-Inform, the terrorist group "Islamic State" appealed to its followers to launch attacks in the United States of America, Europe, Russia, Australia, Iraq, Syria, Iran and the Philippines.