Iraqi forces foil 2 suicide bomb attacks in Anbar province

Iraqi security forces on Thursday foiled two suicide truck bomb attacks by Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq's western province of Anbar, a provincial security source said.

Two explosive-laden trucks tried to attack the Iraqi security forces at a bridge in north of the IS-held city of Fallujah, some 50 km west of capital Baghdad, but the army tanks opened fire and blew them up before they could reach their targets, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Following the failure of the suicide attacks, the IS militants pounded the troops' positions with mortar rounds, wounding three soldiers, the source said.

Meanwhile, the army artillery bombarded IS positions in Albu Shejil area east of the town of Khaldiyah, some 80 km west of Baghdad, leaving five IS militants killed and seven others wounded, the source added.

Iraqi security forces and allied Hashd Shaabi paramilitary units have been fighting for months to retake control of key cities and towns in Iraq's largest province from IS militants, who have seized most of Anbar and tried to advance toward Baghdad. Enditem