Iraqi army drives ISIS militants out of their stronghold in Salahuddin province

Middle East, News May 28, 2015 , by IRIA No Comments

Iraqi army troops, backed by popular forces, have retaken a key village in the Dujail district of Salahuddin Province, driving the ISIS militants out of their stronghold in the northern province.

A spokesman for the Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq volunteer forces announced Thursday that the operation for the liberation of Sayed Gharib ended early in the morning.

The popular volunteer forces forced the terrorists to retreat, Jawad al-Talibawi said, adding that a mop-up operation is currently underway to clear the villages surrounding Sayed Gharib from the ISIS militants.

Sayed Gharib, which is located some 50 kilometers south of the holy city of Samarra, was used by the ISIS terrorists to disrupt the movement of the Iraqi forces between the city and the capital, Baghdad.

The Iraqi Defense Ministry issued a statement on Wednesday, saying ISIS militants had started fleeing their positions in Salahuddin, including Sayed Gharib, al-Dujail, Kassarat and al-Ishaqi districts.

Sources in the Iraqi army also said that the US-led coalition forces were advancing toward the border regions between Salahuddin and the western Anbar Province. A large-scale operation is under way to purge ISIS from Anbar’s capital Ramadi.

Iraq’s Interior Ministry said on Wednesday that Iraqi forces had liberated 65 square kilometers of areas around Ramadi.

Parts of Ramadi, located about 110 kilometers west of Baghdad, fell to ISIL militants on May 17. The army operation to retake full control of the city is considered crucial in Baghdad’s anti-ISIS battle.

ISIS militants have been carrying out attacks in different parts of Iraq since June 2014. The militants also control parts of Syria.