Special U.S. forces station at Iraqi army’s Ramadi headquarter
Commander of the U.S. led coalition, Lieutenant General Steve Townsend speaks during an interview with Reuters at a military base north of Mosul, Iraq, January 4, 2017. REUTERS/Mohammed Al-Ramahi
Kurdish-owned Rudaw network said the force stationed at the army’s al-Jazeera Operations command near the Haditha Dam, west of Ramadi.
The network quoted Ahmed al-Dulaimi, an Iraqi army captain, saying the force was fully armed, and was expected to partake in arrangements for an anticipated military offensive to retake the Islamic State stronghold city of Annah, west of the province
According to al-Dulaimi, there has been a continuous, intense aerial bombardment b y fighter jets from the U.S.-led coalition on Annah, with the aim of exhausting the group’s fighting capabilities before invasion by security and tribal forces.
Islamic State has held the western towns of Annah, Qaim and Rawa since it emerged in 2014 to proclaim a self-styled “Islamic Caliphate”. The group stepped up attacks targeting Iraqi border guards recently. Iraqi and coalition fighter jets regularly pound the group’s locations.
Reports in March had disclosed possible joint operations by the Iraqi and U.S. forces to clear the IS towns. In the same month, the Iraqi Joint Operations Command denied news regarding the arrival of 2000 U.S. Marine soldiers in Anbar to engage in the campaign.
Also on Friday, a security source told Alsumaria News that coalition jets killed 4 militants after targeting their vehicle in Rawa. Those killed included the group’s area booby-trapping official.