Seven Islamic State members killed in operation, southwest of Mosul

Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Security troops have killed seven militants in an operation carried out in southwest of Mosul, a security source announced on Sunday.

“F16 jets purged, for more than two hours, an area of more than four kilometers in the desert region linking between Qayyarah and Baaj towns,” Cap. Safwan al-Asali, of the Iraqi military, was quoted by news agencies as saying on Sunday.

“Security permissions from the air force operations command indicate killing seven militants and destroying nine tunnels, murdering those who were inside,” he added.

The operation, according to Asali, “depended on intelligence information as it was hard to purge some regions with only the ground troops.”

Thousands of Islamic State 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, which declared a self-styled “caliphate” from Mosul in June 2014.

Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks across Iraq against security troops. Security reports indicate that the militant group still poses threat against stability in the country.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced, in December, full liberation of Iraqi lands, declaring end of war against IS members.