Iraq army forces make major gains against ISIL in Anbar
Units of Iraqi army forces backed by tribesmen and volunteer fighters have scored major gains in the troubled western province of al-Anbar as they continue battling ISIL Takfiri militants, Press TV reports.
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Commander of the Anbar Operations, Major General Qassim Mohammadi, announced on Monday that Iraqi troops have managed to kill some 100 ISIL members during various operation across the provincial capital city of Ramadi, which is located about 110 kilometers (68 miles) west of the capital, Baghdad, over the past 48 hours.
Iraqi bomb disposal teams also dismantled four houses east of Ramadi, which had been booby-trapped with the intention of slowing down the Iraqi army’s advances. Four improvised explosive devices were also discovered in the area and defused.
“Military operations in Anbar continue. The clashes are now taking place at the entrances of the city. The ISIL have tried to benefit from the mobilization of troops to the road leading to Karbala. The army and volunteer forces stationed in the province will not only be able to fend off the attack but will also gain ground,” Ali al-Haidary, an Iraqi security expert, told Press TV.
Meanwhile, Shia Endowment — a government-run body that manages Shia religious and cultural sites — has given assurances that holy shrines in the city of Samarra, located 125 kilometers (78 miles) north of Baghdad, are secured by government troops and popular forces.
Iraqi army soldiers and volunteer fighters are reportedly coming together to liberate a number of districts on the outskirts of Samarra and then move toward the heart of the city.
“Confrontations are still going on, but it is obvious that the Iraqi army, volunteer forces and Peshmerga are gaining more ground each day, inflicting heavy losses on militants and tightening their grip on the terrorists. This is really promising,” Ali al-Aboudi, a political analyst, said.
The ISIL launched an offensive in Iraq in June and took control of the country’s second largest city, Mosul, before sweeping through parts of the country’s Sunni Arab heartland.
The Takfiri militants have been carrying out horrific acts of violence, including public decapitations and crucifixions, against all Iraqi communities such as Shias, Sunnis, Kurds and Christians.
Senior Iraqi officials have repeatedly blamed Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and some other Persian Gulf Arab states for the growing terrorism in their country.
