"A terrorist attack in the form of three car bombs at a market in Gogjali killed 15 civilians and eight police," a coordination center for forces battling Daesh said in a statement.

Daesh claimed the attack, which the terrorist group said was carried out by three suicide bombers, AFP reported.

Gogjali, a few kilometers (miles) east of Mosul, was retaken by pro-government forces on Nov. 1, several weeks into a massive operation to recapture the last Iraqi city still under Daesh control.

Iraq's elite counter-terrorism service punched into Mosul from the east, but progress has since slowed and the battle is far from over.

Human Rights Watch has accused Daesh of targeting civilians trying to flee the violence with mortars, explosives and gunfire.