Iraqi PM says victory to be announced soon in western Anbar town
Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi. File photo.
During the weekly press conference on Tuesday, Abadi said, “we will announce liberation of Qaim within the coming few days,” indicating ongoing recruiting of terrorists. He accused some agencies, that he did not name, of repeating the hatred discourse.
In related news, Abadi said that “there is that one who tries to reiterate the hatred discourse, which allowed access of IS years ago.”
Earlier on the day, Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Yarallah, commander of Western Anbar Operations, said Ebeidi region and several villages in west of the province and two oilfields were freed.
Many IS militants reportedly fled Qaim heading to al-BuKamal in Syria, after several leaders ran away and were killed in airstrikes by the Iraqi and U.S.-Coalition jets.
The Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced on Thursday the launch of operations to liberate Qaim and Rawa towns. Hundreds of thousands of messages were airdropped on Wednesday on the two towns informing civilians that security troops are coming to free them and urging them to stay away from the enemy.
Both towns have been held by the extremist group since 2014, when it occupied one third of Iraq to proclaim a self-styled Islamic “Caliphate”.