The Iraqi prime minister has announced that his government is preparing to strike back against al-Qaeda in the northern city of Mosul after two explosion killed almost 40 people.

"Today, our troops started moving toward Mosul … and the fight there will be decisive," Nuri al-Maliki said in Karbala on Friday.

The US military says that Mosul is the last major city where al-Qaeda maintains a strong presence after largely being driven out of Baghdad and western Anbar province. 

"We have set up an operations room in Nineveh to complete the final battle with al-Qaeda along with guerrillas and members of the previous regime," al-Maliki said, referring to other armed groups that the government says remain loyal to Saddam Hussein, the former president.

Extra police

Three thousand extra police were being sent to the region to assist Mosul's understaffed force, Major General Abdul-Karim Khalaf, a spokesman from the interior ministry said.

Iraqi soldiers from Baghdad and Anbar province are also expected to be dispatched to Mosul.

The capital of Ninevah province has about 18,000 policemen but only about 3,000 of those operate in the city of nearly two million, police officials say.

A senior police officer in the city said that commanders had previously requested more troops and better equipment.

"We have asked the prime minister to send us fresh units because we cannot defeat the terrorists with the weak units we have now in the city," Major General Riyad Jalal said.

On Wednesday, at least 34 people were killed and 224 wounded after an apartment building in the Zanjili neighborhood, reportedly used as bomb making factory, exploded.

After a suicide attack which killed two police officers at the same site the following day, a curfew was imposed on the city.

Al-Maliki's statement appeared to be aimed at demonstrating that Iraqi forces are capable of coping with a major security threat with US forces standing by in reserve.

"Now we have a real army. The days when the militants could do anything in front of our armed forces are gone," he said.

Lieutenant General Ray Odierno, the US's second in command in Iraq said that it would play an oversight role and let the Iraqi forces take the lead in Mosul.

PHOTO CAPTION

Nuri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister