ISIS News: Iraqi forces invade Salahuddin, retake villages
Federal police carry their weapons during a battle against Islamic State militants, at the entrance to the city of Dawasa in Mosul, Iraq, March 5, 2017. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani – RTS11ISC
Shirqat (IraqiNews.com) ISIS News Today: Iraqi government and paramilitary forces recaptured several villages on Thursday as the government launched a wide-scale, final operation to retake all of Islamic State’s remaining havens.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and the Joint Operations Command said Thursday and late Wednesday that major offensives were launching to retake Islamic State last bastions in Salahuddin’s Shirqat and Kirkuk’s Hawija. Other offensives had launched earlier this week at the group’s holdouts in western Anbar’s borders with Syria.
ISIS News Today
Federal Police, Rapid Response and the pro-government Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) are carrying out the attack, according to the command.
PMF media said its troops managed to take over four villages in the IS-held eastern side of Salahuddin’s Shirqat town, while Federal Police chief, Shaker Jawdat, said his troops recaptured three other villages after invading the town with tens of combat vehicles and troops.
Iraq hopes to eliminate Islamic State fighters who emerged in 2014 to proclaim a self-styled “Islamic Caliphate”. So far, operations since October 2016 have managed to recapture Mosul, the group’s former capital, and the town of Tal Afar, west of Mosul.