Iraqi troops head toward IS holdouts in Anbar seeking liberation
Iraqi army forces in Tal Afar, wsst of Nineveh.
In a statement on Wednesday, the command said, “Federal Police, the Counter-Terrorism Service and the Iraqi army moved toward west of Anbar.”
According to the statement, “This came to take part in liberation of Qaim and Rawa.”
Earlier on the day, 14 IS members were killed in an air raid that targeted a booby-trapping workshop run by the militants at al-Obaidi, Qaim.
Iraqi army announced the total recapture of Annah, hours after recapturing neighboring Rayhana area, in September. Troops also liberated Akashat region, between Rutba town, on borders with Jordan, and Qaim, on borders with Syria.
Anbar’s western towns of Qaim and Rawa have been held by the extremist group since 2014, when it occupied one third of Iraq to proclaim a self-styled Islamic “Caliphate”. Iraqi troops were able to return life back to normal in the biggest cities of Anbar including Fallujah, Ramadi and others after recapturing them in 2015 and 2016.
Having recaptured Mosul and Tal Afar in Nineveh and Hawija, southwestern Kirkuk, Iraqi troops still have only western Anbar’s towns of Rawa and Qaim remain under the militant’s control.