Iraq Forces Fully Retake Dhuluiya Town
Units of the Iraqi military, backed by volunteer forces, have managed to fully liberate the town of Dhuluiya in Salahuddin Province from the Takfiri ISIL militants.
Karim al-Nuri, a top commander of Badr volunteer fighters, said on Tuesday that the Iraqi forces succeeded in taking full control of the Tigris River town, 70 km north of the capital, Baghdad, from the Takfiri militants.
Assaults to retake the town, which were launched on Sunday and continued into Monday, broke the ISIL terrorists’ siege of Dhuluiya.
Nuri further added that the mass escape of the ISIL Takfiris also ended the isolation of the Sunni al-Jubouri tribesmen.
Following the liberation of Dhuluiya, Iraqi security forces inspected homes for ISIL militants potentially hiding there, he added.
On Monday, Iraqi forces retook the village of Hayy al-Amin in Salahuddin Province from ISIL. Iraqi fighter jets also conducted several sorties and pounded ISIL positions in the village.
Iraqi forces, supported by tribal militiamen, advanced into Dhuluiya on Sunday and pushed back the Takfiri ISIL militants from parts of the town. The troops entered Dhuluiya from the north and captured the military airport, raising the Iraqi flag over the main terminal.
Dhuluiya had initially been liberated in October by Iraqi armed forces. However, it was retaken by the ISIL weeks later despite fierce resistance from local tribes.
The Takfiri militantshave been carrying out horrific acts of violenceagainst all communitiesin Iraq and Syria.
Iran ready to boost defense, military ties with Iraq, saysDehqan
On the other hand, Iran is prepared to boost defense and military cooperation with Iraq and help the country strengthen its military prowess, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General HosseinDehqan says.
Iran’s support for the Iraqi armed forces is part of the Islamic Republic’s defense and security strategies, Dehqan said in a meeting with Iraqi Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi in Tehran on Monday.
He added that support for Iraq’s unity and territorial integrity, promotion of democracy based on the country’s constitution, full establishment of security and the war-stricken country’s progress in all fields are among Iran’s fundamental and sustainable policies.
The Iranian minister further commended the recent victories by Iraqi armed forces over the ISIL Takfiri militants and expressed hope that the fight against terrorism would seriously continue in the country.
Dehqan strongly criticized unilateral measures under the pretext of battling the ISIL militants and said such moves would lead to the persistence and spread of terrorism in the region.
He emphasized that any military intervention in Iraq and Syria against the terrorists must be carried out in coordination with the two countries’ governments.
Obeidi, for his part, said Iraq regards Iran’s support for its armed forces as a strategic imperative.
He also called for Iran’s cooperation in countering terrorism and corruption as well as the reconstruction of the war-torn country.
Iraqi forces have made fresh gains against the ISIL Takfiri terrorists during recent weeks. The most notable of all operations came in November when Iraqi forces retook the strategic town of Baiji and its refinery from the terrorists. The Iraqi army also managed to liberate key districts in the city of Samarra in early December.
Iran has repeatedly stressed that it will not interfere militarily in Iraq and Syria, but the Islamic Republic continues to provide support to both countries against ISIL in the form of defense consultancy and humanitarian aid.
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