Iraqi forces take control of Kurdish-held areas in Mosul's Niveveh's province

Members of Iraqi federal forces are seen in Dibis area on the outskirts of Kirkuk, Iraq October 17, 2017. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi forces have taken control of areas previously held by Kurdish forces in Mosul's Nineveh province in northern Iraq, a military statement said on Wednesday.

The areas were evacuated by Kurdish Peshmerga fighters before the arrival of the Iraqi forces on Tuesday, the statement said. The Peshmerga had taken them over the past three years as part of the war against Islamic State militants.