Iraqi army urges IS members to surrender, people to keep away from militants
Iraqi Counter-Terrorism forces. File photo.
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The Iraqi army has urged Islamic State in western Anbar to either surrender instead of having the same destiny of other militants in liberated regions.
The army’s elite Counter-Terrorism Service distributed flyers among residents of Qaim urging them to remember their hideouts so troops could follow them after the town is liberated.
The CTS also urged residents in the flyers to “stay away from the militants and not allowing them use civilians as human shields.”
Iraqi army announced the total recapture of Annah, hours after recapturing neighboring Rayhana area, in September. Troops also liberated Akashat region, between Rutba town, on borders with Jordan, and Qaim, on borders with Syria.
Anbar’s western towns of Qaim and Rawa have been held by the extremist group since 2014, when it occupied one third of Iraq to proclaim a self-styled Islamic “Caliphate”. Iraqi troops were able to return life back to normal in the biggest cities of Anbar including Fallujah, Ramadi and others after recapturing them in 2015 and 2016.
Having recaptured Mosul and Tal Afar in Nineveh and Hawija, southwestern Kirkuk, Iraqi troops still have only western Anbar’s towns of Rawa and Qaim remain under the militant’s control.