45 IS militants killed, 13 villages liberated in western Anbar: Commander
Iraqi troops raise the Iraqi flag on a liberated area in Mosul
In a statement by the Defense Ministry’s War Media Cell, Lt.Gen. Abdul Amir Yarallah, commander of Upper Euphrates and Jazeera Combing Operations, said troops managed to liberate thirteen villages north of Euphrates river. Advance toward Rawa is still ongoing.
He also indicated “blowing up six booby-trapped vehicles and killed three suicide attackers.”
“More than 100 IED were blown up, while at least 45 militants were killed,” Yarallah said.
Earlier on the day, the Russian Sputnik agency quoted Na’eem al-Kaoud, head of Anbar provincial council’s security committee, as saying that troops managed to free the civilians besieged by IS militants in Rawa.
On Saturday, Iraqi joint forces launched a wide-scale offensive to liberate al-Rummana and Rawa regions.
Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced on Friday liberation of Qaim in record time. Troops also freed Ebeidi and Krabla regions in western Anbar.
Operations were launched, late October, to liberate Qaim and Rawa towns. Both have been held by the extremist group since 2014, when it occupied one third of Iraq to proclaim a self-styled Islamic “Caliphate”.