Iraq’s Vice President Ayad Allawi warned of a potential alliance between Qaeda and ISIS during the coming period in the light of the consecutive victories achieved by the Iraqi troops in the city of Mousl in the framework of the current efforts exerted to liberate the Iraqi second largest city from the grip of the extremist group. Meanwhile,  International Coalition’s Spokesperson John Dorian said that the number of ISIS militants existed in Mousl has not transcended one thousand, saying that the major challenges is their existence in the city’s high populated areas.

Islamic State is talking to al Qaeda about a possible alliance as Iraqi troops close in on IS fighters in Mosul, Iraqi Vice President Ayad Allawi said in an interview on Monday. Allawi said he got the information on Monday from Iraqi and regional contacts knowledgeable about Iraq.

“The discussion has started now,” Allawi said. “There are discussions and dialogue between messengers representing Baghdadi and representing Zawahiri,” referring to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi and Ayman al Zawahiri, the head of al Qaeda.

Islamic State split from al Qaeda in 2014 and the two groups have since waged an acrimonious battle for recruits, funding and the mantle of global jihad. Zawahiri has publicly criticized Islamic State for its brutal methods, which have included beheadings, drownings and immolation. It is unclear how exactly the two groups may work together, Allawi said.

On the military side, U.S.-led coalition jets have destroyed an Islamic State workshop for booby-trapping motorbikes, killing the members inside, in western Mosul, Iraqi intelligence service announced.

In a statement on Tuesday, the service said “the international coalition jets fully destroyed a workshop for booby-trapping motorbikes.”

“15 IS members, who inside the workshop, located in al-Islah al-Zeraei district, were killed,” it added.

Iraqi forces, backed by the international coalition jets launch airstrikes against IS headquarters located in the western flank of Mosul on a daily basis leaving members killed and havens destroyed.

Meanwhile, a source from police in Nineveh province declared arresting 31 IS members, including two leaders, while combing districts in central Mosul.

“Troops launched a security campaign in district of central Mosul,” Captain Mounir Hamza told BasNews. “31 IS members, including leaders from Arab countries, were arrested.”

In the same context, Iraqi police forces fighting Islamic State militants in western Mosul took over an office belonging to the group and killed a Russian member, the forces commander said Tuesday.

Federal Police chief Shaker Jawdat said his troops took over Islamic State’s so-called “health department” office in the strategic Old City. He said in a statement that forces erected barricades around al-Farouq district, and killed Abu Hajir al-Rusi, a Russian IS member, in a rocket attack in the nearby al-Thawra district.