Al-Sagra, Iraq: Iraqi security forces and paramilitary units on Tuesday seized a village in one of the last pockets of territory controlled by the ISIS group in the vast western province of Anbar, bordering Syria.
"Our forces have taken the whole of Al-Rayhanna village, attacking from three directions, and have killed seven terrorists," an Iraqi colonel told AFP.
Some ISIS fighters had fled towards the town of Anna, "eight kilometres (five miles) to the west, which is our next objective", he said.
The operation was supported by Iraqi army helicopters and warplanes from the US-led coalition battling ISIS in Iraq and Syria, a general in the area said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The colonel said coalition aircraft had destroyed a suicide car bomb driven by a jihadist who was trying to reach security forces to detonate the vehicle.
After retaking the town, Iraqi forces are expected to target Rawa to the northwest and finally Al-Qaim, which is close to the border with the Syrian province of Deir Ezzor.
Iraq is preparing to launch an assault against another of the jihadists' remaining strongholds, the town of Hawija about 300 kilometres (185 miles) north of Baghdad.
"Our forces have taken the whole of Al-Rayhanna village, attacking from three directions, and have killed seven terrorists," an Iraqi colonel told AFP.
Some ISIS fighters had fled towards the town of Anna, "eight kilometres (five miles) to the west, which is our next objective", he said.
The operation was supported by Iraqi army helicopters and warplanes from the US-led coalition battling ISIS in Iraq and Syria, a general in the area said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
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The colonel said coalition aircraft had destroyed a suicide car bomb driven by a jihadist who was trying to reach security forces to detonate the vehicle.
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After retaking the town, Iraqi forces are expected to target Rawa to the northwest and finally Al-Qaim, which is close to the border with the Syrian province of Deir Ezzor.
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Iraq is preparing to launch an assault against another of the jihadists' remaining strongholds, the town of Hawija about 300 kilometres (185 miles) north of Baghdad.
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