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| Iraq |
| Iraqi security forces retake most of town near Baghdad from IS |
| 2014-10-26 |
| Iraqi security forces have retaken most of the town of Jurf al-Sakhar near Baghdad from Islamic State militants, the biggest gains in months of fighting for the strategic area, Dailystar reported referring to senior local officials. Full control of the town could allow Iraqi authorities to prevent the insurgents from edging closer to the capital and maintaining connections to their strongholds in western Anbar province as well as infiltrating the south. "We have managed to push out Islamic State terrorists from the town of Jurf al-Sakhar today and now we are raising the Iraqi flag over the government offices," provincial governor Sadiq Madloul told. Some Islamic State fighters had fled towards the western city of Falluja, which is held by the group, while fighting still raged near a bridge linking Jurf al-Sakhar to Anbar, said a commander and spokesman for Iraqi security forces. "There has been a significant collapse among Islamic State fighters. Attacks by Iraqi army helicopters have not stopped since yesterday," said Raad Hamza, head of the Hilla Provincial Council. Speaking by telephone, Hamza said he was in the town with Iraqi security forces. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #1 After victory comes revenge A Reuters witness saw the fighters in green camouflage uniforms scream and swear at members of the Islamist group as they kicked and struck them with rifle butts in Jurf al-Sakhar. As the angry crowd of militiamen around the unarmed militants swelled, shots rang out. The three men lay soaked in blood in the dirt with gunshot wounds to the head. "Those dogs are Chechens. They don't deserve to stay alive. We took confessions from them and we don't need them anymore," said one of the Shi'ite militiamen. ... Asked why the three men were executed, an army officer in Jurf al-Sakhar said: "We don't need them anymore. Why should we keep them alive?" Responding to the same question, a senior member of a local Shi'ite militia said: "When we liberated Jurf al-Sakhar we found the skeletons of innocent people they killed and never buried. They should face the same fate." ... Asked why government forces had not buried the bodies of men who were killed a day before, an Iraqi army colonel said: "Those terrorists do not deserve to be buried. Let the dogs eat their flesh. Many of our men were killed by them." But then came a reminder of the determination of Islamic State militants to expand their reach to Baghdad in pursuit of a powerful caliphate. As Iraqi government soldiers and militias savored their victory and were taking photographs of the bodies, mortars fired by Islamic State fighters who had fled to orchards to the west rained down on the town. The blast hit the militiamen, killing dozens and scattering body parts. Soldiers who moments before were celebrating now screamed out in fear. "Run to the ditch. Mortars. Mortars," yelled a militiaman. An army officer shouted at local militia leaders, berating them for advancing too fast, before helicopters had wiped out any pockets of resistance. "OK, let's retreat," one of the militiamen shouted. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2014-10-26 22:41 |