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Operations launched to recapture western Anbar from Islamic State

 Operations launched to recapture western Anbar from Islamic State

Islamic State fighters on pickup trucks in Anbar, west of Iraq.

Islamic State fighters on pickup trucks in Anbar, west of Iraq.
Anbar (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi army and police forces, backed by tribal militias, launched on Thursday a first major campaign to retake western regions of the province of Anbar, near the borders with Syria, from Islamic State militants.

Commander of the army’s al-Jazeera Operations, Lt. Gen. Qassem al-Mohammadi, said in a statement that the forces partaking in the onslaught are backed by an aerial cover from US-led coalition fighter jets.

He said the operations target the towns of Annah, Rawa and Qaem from Islamic State militants who maintained hold since 2014. Joint forces advanced Thursday towards Annah, he revealed.

IS used regions of western Anbar as launching points for attacks against civilians and security forces. Iraqi security and coalition forces responded with occasional strikes on those locations.

The most outstanding battle against IS in Iraq has been running since October at the city of Mosul, the country’s second largest city and the formerly proclaimed capital of the militants’ “Islamic Caliphate”. Generals say they have become in control over a half of the city’s eastern section and hope to advance towards the western section on the borders with Syria.

Battles and hard living conditions in IS-held regions has forced at least 150.000 civilians to flee homes to refugee camps.

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