2 die as ISIS prevents exit from Anbar
Anbar (IraqiNews.com) Islamic State has followed more than six fleeing families, killed two civilians and arrested the rest in western Anbar, a security source from the province said.
Speaking to Alghad Press on Monday, the source said, “IS followed more than six families in the desert of Qaim, killed two youths and arrested the rest before they reached security troops.”
The militants, according to the source, “take the arrested youth to unknown place and hang their bodies in al-Dawar region, near borders between Iraq and Syria from the Syrian side, and write ‘this is for the apostates.”
Earlier on the day, Emad al-Dulaimi, mayor of the city of Rutba, west of Ramadi, said in press remarks that 50 families fled the towns of Rawa and Qaim towards areas held by security forces and that they were going to be transferred to more secure areas.
Anbar’s western towns of Qaim and Rawa have been held by the extremist group since 2014, when it occupied one third of Iraq to proclaim a self-styled Islamic “Caliphate”. Iraqi troops were able to return life back to normal in the biggest cities of Anbar including Fallujah, Ramadi and others after recapturing them in 2015 and 2016.
Mass grave found in Hawija
Hawija (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi troops ran into a mass grave of army and police conscripts who were executed by Islamic State in south of Hawija, southwest of Kirkuk.
A statement by the media service of al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces) issued on Monday said, “the fourth brigade of PMUs and Federal Police found a mass grave containing the relics of police and army conscripts at the liberated village of al-Therban.”
PMUs and Federal Police troops managed to free the village, along with others, on Monday.
Earlier on the day, Lt.Gen. Abdul Amir Yarallah, commander of the Hawija Operations, announced launching wide-scale military operations to free al-Rashad region, as part of the second phase of operations to liberate Hawija.
The Iraqi joint troops announced on Sunday retaking 28 villages near Hawija.
On Friday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi and the Joint Operations Command announced beginning of the second phase of Hawija offensive.
According to Defense Ministry’s War Media Cell, 557 IS militants were killed, while more than 100 villages and regions were liberated during the first phase, which launched on September 24th.
Hawija and other neighboring regions, west of Kirkuk, have been held by IS since mid-2014, when the group emerged to proclaim an Islamic “caliphate” in Iraq and Syria.