Seven IS members, hiding among displaced families, arrested in Anbar

Anbar (IraqiNews.com) Anbar (IraqiNews.com) Seven Islamic State members were arrested in Anbar while being on their way to liberated regions, a security source said on Thursday.

“While checking identities of the displaced families who were returning back to Qaim town, security troops managed to arrest seven IS members,” the source told BasNews.

“Troops transferred the arrested militants to detention cells for further investigations,” the source, who asked to remain anonymous, added.

“Security services are checking identities of the displaced families that return back to upper Euphrates towns in Qaim, Rawa and Annah to arrest whoever involved with Islamic State to preserve security of liberated regions,” the source said.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced, in December, full liberation of Iraqi lands, declaring end of war against IS members.

Thousands of IS 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.
Since then, forces took back the group’s former capital, Mosul, the town of Tal Afar, Kirkuk’s Hawija, and each of Annah, Rawa and Qaim in Anbar.

The war against IS has displaced nearly five million people, with tens of thousands of civilians and militants killed since the launch of the offensives to recapture occupied cities.