Iraqi Army Fully Liberates Heet Island in Al-Anbar
The Iraqi army and popular forces retook control of Heet Island in the Western parts of Ramadi, the capital city of al-Anbar province.
“The Army units could fully liberate the Heet Island in the Northern parts of Heet city, 70km of West of Ramadi, from ISIL’s hands,” Commander of al-Anbar operations, General Esma’eil al-Mahlawi was quoted as saying by Soumeria news on Tuesday.
According to him, the operations to regain control of Heet Island and the surrounding villages were carried out without any resistance by the ISIL terrorists as they all fled the region.
On Monday, the Iraqi army and volunteer forces (Hashd al-Shaabi) won two strategic districts in the city of Heet in Anbar province.
“The Savib and al-Amireh districts of Heet city are now under the full control of the Iraqi forces, although there are numerous mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in all their buildings and main roads,” Iraqi Army Commander Colonel Fazel al-Heeti said on Monday.
On Sunday, Iraqi security forces freed five villages from the ISIL militants in Anbar province, killing at least 22 militants.
The Iraqi Army and Its allied popular forces carried out an operation to flash out the terrorists from villages and rural areas along the Euphrates River North of town of Heet, some 160 km West of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, a provincial security source said.
The troops backed by Iraqi aircraft managed to free the villages of Sarrajiyah, J’iel, al-Aliya, Saffagiyah and Mahboubiyah after sporadic clashes with ISIL militants who fled the scene, the source said.
A total of 22 ISIL militants were killed in the clashes and several vehicles of the terrorist group were destroyed, including two carrying heavy machine guns, while two soldiers were killed and six others wounded, the source added.
FNA
R.S