Iraqi security kill 8 Islamic State militants west of Ramadi

Ramadi (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi security forces killed eight Islamic State militants on Tuesday during a preemptive operation in Anbar, a security source was quoted saying.

The source told Ikh News that government troops and allied forces launched an operation in the desert of Rawa, west of Ramadi, some of whom were foreign nationals.

“Security forces and supporting troops have also managed to destroy three four-wheeled drives supplied with machine guns,” the source said.

Since Islamic State militants took over large areas of Iraq and Syria to establish a self-styled “caliphate” in 2014, Iraqi government forces, backed paramilitary troops and U.S.-led coalition, launched a wide-scale campaign to retake those regions.

So far, the offensives managed to retake Mosul, the group’s former capital, the town of Tal Afar, Kirkuk’s Hawija and Anbar’s Annah. Only Qaim and neighboring Rawa currently remain in IS grip.

Local authorities and human rights agencies believe Islamic State members are holding tens of thousands of civilians in western Anbar as future human shields, having killed hundreds for attempting to escape.

A monthly count by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), which excludes security members deaths, said 196 civilians were killed, while 381 others were wounded due to violence and armed conflicts during the month of September.