Seven Islamic State militants killed in air raid west of Anbar

Anbar (IraqiNews.com) Seven Islamic State militants were killed Tuesday by an Iraqi air raid west of Anbar, according to a paramilitary commander.

Zayzel al-Obaidi, a senior commander at the mobilization forces, told Almaalomah website that the seven militants died when Iraqi army fighter jets pounded their location in Qadisiya in central Rawa.

Those killed included foreign nationals, Obaidi said.

The towns of Rawa and Qaim in western Anbar are currently Islamic State’s last remaining havens in Iraq. Iraqi forces recaptured all other IS bastions in operations launched in October 2016, most notably Mosul, the group’s former capital.

Military Operations to retake Rawa and Qaim will be launched by end October, the security committee of Anbar provincial council said earlier on Tuesday.

“Military troops are ready for the battle. However, no instructions regarding participation of al-Hashd al-Shaabi [Popular Mobilization Forces] in the operations are clear,” the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper quoted Na’im al-Ka’oud, head of the committee, as saying. “The visits made by some leaders can be considered as follow-up on situations to acknowledge developments.”

Tribal fighters, Jazeera and Badiya operations commands and local police will take part in the battles, he said.

“Our information indicate that IS leaders fled Qaim and Rawa toward Syria and Libya,” Ka’oud said.