Over twenty IS militants killed as locations shelled in Salahuddin

Shirqat (IraqiNews.com) Over twenty Islamic State militants were killed as Iraqi jets shelled the group’s locations in north of Salahuddin, according to military media.

“Based on accurate information, Iraqi fighter jets carried out twelve air raids, leaving 23 militants killed and five vehicles destroyed in western Shirqat,” the Defense Ministry’s War Media Cell said on Friday.

Earlier on the day, the Joint Operations Command said troops managed to gain more areas, retaking 19 villages in western Shirqat.

In another statement, Lt. Gen. Shaker Jawdat, chief of Federal Police, said, “troops regained control on 60 percent of the total area of western Shirqat, liberating 30 villages.”

On Thursday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi and the Joint Operations Command announced launch of first phase of operations to liberate Hawija and western Shirqat. Federal Police, Rapid Response and the pro-government Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) are carrying out the attack, according to the command.

Iraqi government and paramilitary forces recaptured several villages on Thursday as the government launched a wide-scale, final operation to retake all of Islamic State’s remaining havens in Kirkuk and Salahuddin.

Hawija and other neighboring regions, west of Kirkuk, have been held by IS since mid-2014, when the group emerged to proclaim an Islamic “caliphate” in Iraq and Syria.