Aerial shelling kills four IS militants on Salahuddin-Diyala borders

Diyala (IraqiNews.com) Four Islamic State militants were killed in aerial shelling on borders between Diyala and Salahuddin provinces, a member from Diyala provincial council said on Sunday.

“Four IS militants were killed as an airstrike targeted a rest house at the outskirts of Mutaibija, on borders between Diyala and Salahuddin,” Abdel Khaleq al-Azzawi told AlSumaria News on Sunday.

“The shelling was carried out depending on accurate information provided by the Tribal Mobilization Forces,” Azzawi said. “The presence of IS in Mutaibija is clear and needs a military operation to eliminate it.”

Occasional attacks have been witnessed in Mutaibija by Islamic State against government and paramilitary troops deployments since Iraqi forces, backed by a U.S.-led coalition and PMUs, launched a major offensive to retake areas occupied by IS since 2014.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi and the Joint Operations Command announced on September 21, the launch of first phase of operations to liberate Hawija and eastern Shirqat, north of Salahuddin. Federal Police, Rapid Response and the pro-government Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) took part in the attack, according to the command.

In late September, Federal Police announced liberation of eastern Shirqat. 225 militants had been killed since the launch of operations in Shirqat.

Iraqi troops still have only western Anbar’s towns of Rawa and Qaim remain under the militant’s control.