Islamic State attack leaves casualties among Iraqi army in Anbar

Rutba (IraqiNews.com) Two Iraqi army soldiers were killed and eight others were wounded Sunday when Islamic State militants attacked an army outpost in western Anbar.

Anadolu Agency quoted army Captain Ahmed al-Dulaimi saying the attack targeted an army deployment at the 25th kilometer region west of Rutba (310 km west of Ramadi).

He said fierce encounters between both sides also left five of the attacking militants dead.

Iraqi and U.S.-led coalition fighter jets have regularly pounded locations held by the Islamic State at the stronghold towns of Annah, Qaim and Rawa, killing dozens of militants. Thousands of civilians are thought to be held in Islamic State captivity at those locations.

It is widely expected that the Iraqi government will launch a major security offensive in Anbar once it is done with its U.S.-backed campaign to drive out IS from Mosul, the group’s principal stronghold in Iraq, which has been running since October 2016. Military officials have been quoted over the past few weeks telling of preparations to invade IS havens in the province.

IS has stepped its attacks against Iraqi border guards at the province’s borders with Syria recently, at one incident killing and wounding 30 servicemen in an ambush earlier this month.