Iraqi army forces purge over 80% of Anbar desert areas of ISIS terrorist group

A high-ranking Iraqi security official said government troops, supported by allied fighters from Popular Mobilization Units, have succeeded to purge more than half of the desert areas in the country’s Western province of Anbar of Daesh (ISIS or ISIL) Takfiri terrorists.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Arabic-language al-Sabah al-Jadid daily newspaper on Sunday, Chairman of Anbar Provincial Security Council Naeem al-Kaoud said security forces and volunteer fighters, commonly known as Hashd al-Shaabi, have cleansed over 80 percent of Anbar desert areas of the extremists following multi-pronged military operations there.

“The troops also destroyed several Daesh hotbeds and remotely detonated four armored vehicles, which were used by the militant group,” he added.

Kaoud went on to say that ten more people were also arrested on suspicion of joining Daesh terror group.

“Although the militants hotbeds were built underground, the troops were able to destroy them after receiving intelligence reports on their locations,” the senior security official pointed out.

“The military operation, backed by the Iraqi Air Force, comes as part of ongoing efforts to eliminate Daesh militants on the country’s borders with Saudi Arabia and Jordan,” Kaoud noted.

Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has declared the end of military operations against the ISIL group in the Arab country.

ISIS began a terror campaign in Iraq in 2014, overrunning vast swathes in lightning attacks. Iraqi forces then launched operations to eliminate ISIL and retake lost territory.

Source: Farsnews