31 killed in clashes with IS militants in Iraq's Anbar

A total of 31 people were killed on Sunday in clashes with Islamic State (IS) militants, including two suicide car bombings, and an air strike in Iraq's western province of Anbar, a provincial security source said.

The deadliest attack occurred when two suicide bombers rammed their explosive-laden vehicles at a military base, housing Iraqi soldiers and allied paramilitary militias, also known as Hashd Shaabi, in east of Fallujah, an IS-held city located some 50 km west of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, leaving 12 soldiers and militiamen killed, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The two huge blasts were followed by heavy clashes with dozens of IS militants, the source said, adding that unknown number of IS militants were killed and wounded by the clashes.

Separately, at least eight IS militants were killed and several of their vehicles destroyed in fierce clashes with Iraqi police in Huseibah al-Sharqiyah area in east of the provincial capital city of Ramadi, some 110 km west of Baghdad, the source said.

Meanwhile, three IS militants and four civilians were killed and five people wounded when Iraqi air craft carried out an air strike on IS positions in the militant-seized city of Heet, about 160 km west of Baghdad, the source added.

Also in the province, another air strike by and Iraqi warplane bombarded IS positions in Souffiyah district in northern Ramadi, killing four people and wounding seven others, he said.

Iraqi security forces and allied Hashd Shaabi paramilitary militias have been fighting for months to retake control of key cities and towns in the largest province from IS militants, which seized most of Anbar and tried to advance toward Baghdad. Endit