Islamic State’s suicide attackers leader, judge killed in airstrike in Anbar
Representational photo.
“Based on information from the military intelligence department, security troops launched an airstrike in Anbar desert, which left Ahmed al-Eissawi, the group’s leader in charge of suicide attackers, and Rabah al-Halbousi, the group’s legitimate judge of the so-called Anbar State,” the Defense Ministry’s War Media Cell said.
The air raid, according to the statement, “destroyed huge number of vehicles and weapons.”
Na’im al-Ka’oud, head of the Anbar provincial council’s security committee, was quoted on Sunday as saying that military Operations to retake Rawa and Qaim, the Islamic State’s last two bastions in western Anbar, will be launched by end of the month.
Iraqi troops were able to return life back to normal in the biggest cities of Anbar including Fallujah, Ramadi and others after recapturing them in 2015 and 2016. However, Anbar’s western towns of Qaim and Rawa have been held by the extremist group since 2014, when it occupied one third of Iraq to proclaim a self-styled Islamic “Caliphate”.
Iraqi army announced the total recapture of the town of Annah and neighboring Rayhana area last month. Troops also liberated Akashat region, between Rutba town, on borders with Jordan, and Qaim, on borders with Syria.