Over 500 IS militants killed in phase 1 of Hawija offensive: Military media

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Over 500 Islamic State militants were killed and more than 100 villages and regions were liberated during the first phase of offensives in southwest of Kirkuk, the military media said.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Defense Ministry’s War Media Cell said, “joint troops, which took part in Hawija operations, managed to accomplish the first phase and achieve all the targets, inflicting huge losses on the enemy.

“Security troops killed 557 militants, destroyed 46 booby-trapped vehicles and 24 others. 381 IEDs were defused,” the statement said.

According to WMC, the army’s elite Counter-Terrorism Service liberated five villages, while Federal Police and al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces) freed 63 villages. The army’s ninth armored division and PMFs managed to retake 35 villages, making the total number of regions and villages liberated reach 103.

“Troops also destroyed two booby-trapped workshops and handled 18 booby-trapped houses. 21 enemy’s locations were targeted, while ten weapon stashes were destroyed,” it added.

On Sunday, the Joint Operations Command announced completing the first phase of operations to recapture Hawija, the group’s holdout in southwestern Kirkuk.

Launched last week, the operation managed to take over al-Zab river region, the northern part of Makhoul mountains and several villages west of Tigris River.

Brig. Gen. Yahia Rasoul, spokesman of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, said previously that the number of Islamic State members in Hawija falls between 800 and 1500.