Islamic State kidnap 3 Iraqi civilians in western Anbar
Members of the Islamic State. File Photo.
Rutba (IraqiNews.com) Islamic State militants have kidnapped three Iraqi civilians west of Anbar province, a security source was quoted saying on Tuesday.
Dijlah TV quoted the source saying that armed Islamic State members kidnapped three building materials business owners while touring their plants west of the city of Rutba.
According to the source, security forces launched a search for the abductees.
Iraq declared victory over Islamic State militants in December, ending three years of operations to retake territories occupied by the militants to declare a self-styled “caliphate”.
Anbar’s town of Rarwa, close to borders with Syria, was the last IS bastion recaptured by the Iraqi forces. The government had said its forces regained full control over the borders with Syria, but militants have staged occasional attacks from there, prompting the government to carry out military raids on the group’s locations inside Syria.