British planes strike IS-held Saddam palace in Mosul

Coalition warplanes bombed one of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's palaces which was being used as a training base by the Islamic State group [IS] in the city of Mosul, Britain's Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday.

The palace in the IS stronghold of Mosul in northern Iraq was attacked in a joint operation by the US-led coalition on Monday, with British Tornado jets targeting the headquarters buildings and a security centre.

Surveillance established that IS was using the palace and its sprawling grounds as a headquarters and training centre for foreign recruits.

The site also contained "a number of more discreet outbuildings used for command and control, training, internal security and repression", the ministry said.

Mosul, Iraq's second city, has been held by IS since June 2014.

Iraqi forces are conducting operations to set the stage for an assault but the final push to retake it is likely still months away.

The Iraqi military recaptured the al-Waleed border crossing with Syria from IS on Wednesday

Border crossing recaptured

Meanwhile, the Iraqi military recaptured the al-Waleed border crossing with Syria from IS on Wednesday.

Rutba mayor, Imad al-Dulaimi, told The New Arab that government forces had taken back the crossing headquarters and raised the Iraqi flag on top of the building after fierce fighting with the militants.

"The Iraqi army, federal police, border guard and armed tribesmen all took part in the battle with the support of coalition warplanes," Dulaimi said.

IS took control of the crossing in May last year after Iraqi border police withdrew from the site.

The al-Walid border crossing was previously captured by IS along with the nearby Trebil border crossing with Jordan in June, 2014.

The two crossings were subsequently retaken by the Iraqi military just days later.