Islamic State members flee western Anbar bastion toward Salahuddin
Islamic State fighters on pickup trucks in Anbar, west of Iraq.
“IS members evacuated all its locations in Rawa, west of Anbar, and headed toward al-Maleha and al-Sakhriyat regions, south of Salahuddin,” Qutri al-Obeidi, a senior leader with al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces) told Ikhnews website on Sunday.
“All the foreign IS members fled Rawa, while only few number of local ones remained in the town awaiting their unknown destiny,” he added.
The militants withdrawal, according to Obeidi, “came after the security troops declared intentions to invade the town over the coming few hours as well as airstrikes by army jets targeting the militants’ hideouts. The snipers also evacuated the high buildings in the town.”
On Saturday, Ikhnews quoted a source as saying that IS legislative mufti, known as abul Muhajir, who is in charge of running the group’s affairs in Rawa, was killed, along with two of his companions in an airstrike as army jets targeted a hideout for IS in central Rawa.
Last week, Hussein al-Okaidi, Rawa mayor, said the number of remaining Islamic State militants is estimated at no more than twenty members.
Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced, earlier November, the liberation of Qaim in record time. Troops also freed Ebeidi and Krabla regions in western Anbar.