Iraqi troops kill more than twenty IS militants in western Anbar

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) More than twenty Islamic State militants were killed within offensives launched in the group’s holdout in western Anbar, military media reported on Tuesday.

In a press release, the War Media Cell said on Tuesday that “the most important outcome of liberation of al-Rayhana and Annah was the murder of twenty-two militants as well as destruction of weapon stash and four booby-trapped vehicles.”

Iraqi government troops and paramilitary forces managed Tuesday to recapture Rayhana region as part of an operation, launched earlier on the day, targeting the region as well as Annah town, in western Anbar.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi promised “new victory”, earlier on the day, as he declared the launch of an operation to clear Islamic State havens in western Anbar, starting with the town of Annah.

On Saturday, Iraqi joint troops liberated Akashat region, between Rutba town, on borders with Jordan, and Qaim, on borders with Syria.

Anbar’s western towns of Annah, Qaim and Rawa are still 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.

Fighter jets from the Iraqi army and the international coalition regularly pound IS locations in the province.