25 Islamic State militants killed, villages liberated in western Anbar
Iraqi army forces entering Kirkuk to retake the province from Kurdish troops.
“Troops of the Jazeera Operations Command liberated, today, villages of al-Awani, northern Jibab and al-Zallah, south of Euphrates,” Western Anbar Operations Command said in a statement.
“Four booby-trapped vehicles and killed 25 militants. Troops are still advancing,” the command said.
Moreover, the Defense Ministry’s War Media Cell quoted the command as saying, “the 26th brigade of al-Hashd al-Shaabi [Popular Mobilization Forces] accomplished its duty in Akashat-Qaim axis after liberating 43 kilometers of the Akashat-Qaim road and combing an area of 301 square kilometers.
Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Yaralla, the commander, said in an earlier statement, “Jazeera Operations Command, managed today, to liberate Qaim cement factory.”
Earlier on the day, a security source was quoted saying that security forces liberated regions of al-Mawali, al-Nazwah and al-Nahyah, located west of Rawa, in western Anbar.
The army’s 8th division engaged with a group of IS militants at south of al-Qaim, earlier today, killing 25. A source was quoted as saying that army warplanes killed dozens others of militants in Qaim’s desert.
The Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced on Thursday the launch of operations to liberate Qaim and Rawa towns.
Hundreds of thousands of messages were airdropped on Wednesday on the two towns informing civilians that security troops are coming to free them and urging them to stay away from the enemy.
Both towns have been held by the extremist group since 2014, when it occupied one third of Iraq to proclaim a self-styled Islamic “Caliphate”.