Iraqi forces free new areas from IS militants in Iraq's Ramadi

Iraqi security forces on Tuesday retook control of more districts in the city of Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, after heavy clashes with the Islamic State (IS) militants, provincial security sources said.

The troops and allied Shiite and Sunni tribesmen covered by U.S.-led coalition and Iraqi aircraft regained control of Ramadi's Pediatric and Maternity Hospital in the central part of the city after fierce clashes overnight, leaving some 15 IS militants killed, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The troops, backed by international aircraft, also seized the district of al-Houz district, which is adjacent to the government compound in central Ramadi after they drive out the extremist militants, the source said, without giving details about casualties.

Meanwhile, the troops in the morning tried to recapture Sajariyah area, just east of Ramadi, but they failed to advance by the heavy resistance of the IS militants, the source said, adding that an officer and five security members were killed and 12 others wounded in the battles.

The battles in Ramadi are part of ongoing clashes between the Iraqi forces and the IS militants who previously gained ground more than two weeks ago in Albu Farraj area and later expanded to captured more areas in eastern and central the city.

The security deterioration in Ramadi pushed the Iraqi government to send reinforcement troops to the city, giving the troops a push to regain ground in several district in the city, including Soufiyah in eastern Ramadi and Sharika, during the past few days.

The IS group has seized most of Iraq's largest province of Anbar and tried to advance toward Baghdad, but several counter attacks by security forces and Shiite militias have pushed them back.

The security situation in Iraq has drastically deteriorated since last June, when bloody clashes broke out between Iraqi security forces and the IS militants. Endit