The Islamic State (IS) militants have transferred 35 artillery cannons from Mosul to areas the group holds in Syria.

Member of the Free Officers Movements in Mosul, Sheikh Humam al-Dawhi, is reported by local media to have said that on Wednesday, IS insurgents transferred almost all of their heavy military equipment from the city to the Bahaj area, before moving it on to Syria.

“They have moved all their heavy weapons out of Mosul, except some military vehicles. No other large weapons or military equipment is left inside the city,” he said.

Al-Dawhi believes that IS is relocating its military equipment as part of preparations to leave Mosul.

IS looted a vast array of equipment from barracks abandoned by the Iraqi army in June 2014, including heavy weaponry supplied by the US government.