Nine Islamic State members killed in airstrike, west of Anbar

Anbar (IraqiNews.com) Nine Islamic State members were killed as an airstrike targeted a tunnel used by the militants, west of Anbar, a leader from the pro-government paramilitary troops in the province said on Wednesday.

Speaking to Almaalomah website, Qutri al-Obeidi, of the mobilization forces, said “the army jets shelled a secret tunnel of Islamic State in Wadi al-Maraabdiya region in Hit town, which left nine militants killed.”

Information from the intelligence department, according to Obeidi, “enabled the army from targeting the tunnel.”

Thousands of Islamic State militants as well as Iraqi civilians were killed since the government campaign, backed by paramilitary troops and the coalition was launched in October 2016 to fight the militant group, which declared a self-styled “caliphate” from Mosul in June 2014.

Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks across Iraq against troops. Security reports indicate that the militant group still poses threat against stability in the country.

A total of 76 people were killed and 129 others were injured due to acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflicts during the month of June, casualty figures recorded by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

The group still has dormant cells, through which it carries out attacks, across Iraq like it used to do before 2014.