The Islamic State posted on Thursday a video clip, which shows the Islamist extremists wrecking old relics such as statues of ancient gods, which are banned by Islam.

The 5-minute footage recorded the activities of apparent militants at the Mosul museum sending sculpted pieces tumbling from their pedestals and pulverizing them with sledgehammers.

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In one scene, a man used a jackhammer to wreck a big Assyrian winged bull at an archaeological dig in the city, which Islamic State militants took control since summer last year.

A bearded man in the footage addressed Muslims, saying the relics shown behind him were idols from ancient peoples who worshipped them instead of God.

He said Akkadians, Assyrians and other ancient races had gods for war, for farming and for the rain and they worked on getting their favor with offerings.

The man cited the actions of the Muslim prophet Mohammed in history, when he supposedly took out and buried the idols in Mecca with his own hands.

Culture experts said the relics destroyed included reconstructed fragments, the original pieces and their copies.

Many of the destroyed items are from the Parthian and Assyrian civilizations, which date back a couple of centuries before the birth of Jesus Christ.

For months, Mosul had been a reminder of the Iraqi military's weakness. 

Hundreds of Iraqi police and national army forces dropped their arms and ran, as Islamic State militants took control of Mosul in June last year.

Now, they are prepared to come back and beat back the enemy, officials said.

Plans are in place for the Iraqi army to retake Mosul from Islamic State control. A senior US official said the major attack may be carried out in April or May.

The assault team will include former Mosul police forces, three Peshmerga brigades and five Iraqi Army brigades. 

Their battle plan may include placing strategic US forward air controllers in Iraq to aid in calling for air strikes as Peshmerga and Iraqi ground troops attack Islamic State.