Army recaptures 8 km between Islamic State Anbar strongholds

Anbar (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi security forces and tribal militias cleared on Thursday 8 kilometers of a road linking Islamic State-held towns west of Anbar as operations started earlier on the day to retake those regions.

Qassem al-Mohammadi, commander of the army’s al-Jazeera Operations, said in press statements that army forces and allied militias cleared eight kilometers of the road between the towns of Haditha and Annah from militants, killing some as they advanced.

Nazem al-Jugheifi, a senior leader at Popular Mobilization Units in the province, said the militias defused more than 100 explosive devices during the campaign.

Meanwhile, Saad Rachid, mayor of Annah, said Islamic State militants were confining 8000 civilians inside the town, adding that those suffer medicine and food shortages. He however, predicted the IS-controlled regions to be retaken soon, arguing that most regions are empty of residents, which will facilitate the mission of security forces.

IS used regions of western Anbar as launching points for attacks against civilians and security forces. Iraqi security and coalition forces responded with occasional strikes on those locations.

The most outstanding battle against IS in Iraq has been running since October at the city of Mosul, the country’s second largest city and the formerly proclaimed capital of the militants’ “Islamic Caliphate”. Generals say they have become in control over a half of the city’s eastern section and hope to advance towards the western section on the borders with Syria.