Iraqi troops kill Islamic State militants in shelling, east of Tikrit
Artillery shelling. File photo.
A source from the pro-government al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces) said, “the ninth brigade, backed by army jets, shelled militants gathering east of Glam al-Dor region, killing all of the militants there.”
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.
In December, Abadi announced full liberation of Iraqi lands, declaring end of war against IS members. However, 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 68 Iraqi civilians were killed and another 122 injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in Iraq in April 2018, according to casualty figures recorded by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).
As many as 3,298 civilians were killed and 4,781 others were wounded in 2017, excluding Anbar civilian casualty figures for November and December, which are not available, UNAMI said in a report in December.
The war against IS has displaced at least five million people.