30 Islamic State militants killed in western Anbar airstrikes

Anbar (IraqiNews.com) Thirty Islamic State militants were killed on Wednesday when Iraqi fighter jets pounded a location where they held a leadership meeting east of Anbar, a senior local militia commander said.

Nazem al-Jugheifi, an intelligence official at Al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Units), said the deaths included senior leaders of the extremist group who were leading a security meeting in central Rawa. He said the dead commanders belonged to the group’s branch in the Syrian Boukamal region.

Jugheifi said the meeting tackled the group’s status in the province’s western regions.

Iraqi forces launched last week operations to retake those areas, most notably tee towns of Annah and Rawa.

Security sources in Anbar said earlier this week that the operations, backed by tribal militias, had halted until security troops consummate the liberation of Mosul, Islamic State’s largest stronghold in Iraq that has been witnessing a more significant operation since October.

IS militants have, according to aid groups and security officials, maintained civilian hostages in western Anbar to use them as human shields since security offensives began.

The brief offensive on Anbar has managed to retake some villages surrounding IS strongholds at the western areas, according to commanders on the field.

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