Paramilitary troops kill IS militant attempting suicide attack, north of Salahuddin
Iraqi army fires a cannon during clashes with ISIS militants in Himreen mountains on October 25, 2014. Archival photo.
Speaking to Baghdad Today, the source said “al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces) killed an IS suicide attacker in north of Salahuddin. Troops are still looking for others.”
The intelligence of PMFs, according to the source, indicated “several IS suicide attackers beseiged in a tunnel at Makhoul mountains.”
Federal Police announced, late September, liberation of eastern Shirqat, the group’s holdout in north of the province. 225 militants had been killed since the launch of operations in Shirqat.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi and the Joint Operations Command announced on September 21, the launch of first phase of operations to liberate Hawija and western Shirqat. Federal Police, Rapid Response and the pro-government Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) took part in the attack, according to the command.
The Iraqi army said in September 2016 its forces recaptured the western coast of Shirqat, located south of Mosul, on the west bank of the Tigris river, after being surrounded for months by Iraqi troops and the pro-government Shi’ite militias.
Iraqi troops still have only western Anbar’s towns of Rawa and Qaim remain under the militant’s control. Iraqi troops recaptured the town of Annah, a third IS holdout neighboring those two towns, late September.