Iraqi forces block Islamic State counter-attack in western Mosul - officers

A displaced Iraqi girl who just fled her home is seen at a screening center, as Iraqi forces battle with Islamic State militants, in western Mosul, Iraq March 2, 2017. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Islamic State fighters launched a counter-attack against advancing U.S.-backed Iraqi forces in western Mosul during an overnight rain storm, as the battle for control of the militants' last major urban stronghold in Iraq intensified.

Explosions and gun fire rang out across the city's southwestern districts in the early hours of Thursday. The fighting eased in the late morning, although a Reuters correspondent saw an air strike and rebel mortar fire.