Iraqi Army Regains Control over Dozens of Villages in Salahuddin Province
The Iraqi army, backed by popular forces, has seized back control over tens of villages in Salahuddin province in less than two weeks, a senior provincial official announced on Sunday, FNA reported.
“The (Iraqi) security forces backed by volunteer troops have regained control of 80 villages in Salahuddin province near the borders with Diyala province in the last 10 days,” Al-Sumeriya News quoted Head of the Security Commission of Diyala Governorate Sadeq al-Hosseini as saying.
He noted that the villages liberated by the Iraqi army are stretched in an area in Al-Azim region (located 75 kilometers from Baquba city) to 20 kilometers inside Salahuddin territory.
Last week, Iraqi parliamentary officials announced that government and popular troops had seized control of 110 villages from the ISIL terrorists in Salahuddin province in the last several weeks.
“The army and popular forces have managed to free hundreds of villages, towns and neighborhoods in Salahuddin province from the hands of the ISIL,” Abbas al-Bayati, the representative of State of Law Coalition at the Iraqi parliament, said.
He further described winning back control over Beiji in Tikrit and its oil refinery as the main objective of the army and popular forces.
Bayati also underlined that the Iraqi army and volunteer forces’ victories against the terrorists have caused a change in the position of those who opposed supplying arms aid to the Baghdad government to keep it weak in its confrontation against the terrorists.
Iraqi army takes back strategic oil wells in Northern Tikrit
Meanwhile, Iraqi army and popular forces marched through the surrounding areas of the city of Tikrit, capital of Salahuddin province, on Sunday and took back control over several strategic oil wells in the Northeastern parts of Tikrit.
The Iraqi army regained control over Al-Ajil oil wells near Tikrit city in fierce clashes with the ISIL terrorists.
The Iraqi forces have killed 115 ISIL terrorists in the last few hours in the region.
On Friday, Iraqi Defense Minister Brigadier General Khaled al-Obeidi reaffirmed that the Arab country’s army and popular forces have taken full control of Tikrit.
“The Iraqi army, security and popular forces are now in full control over Tikrit,” Brigadier General Al-Obeidi said.
The Iraqi defense minister reiterated that the army and popular forces are moping up any possible ISIL hideouts in the city now.
On March 1, the Iraqi army backed by popular forces started a fresh round of military operations to liberate Tikrit.
R.S