Security forces repel IS attack in western Iraq, clashes continue in Ramadi

Iraqi security forces on Monday repelled Islamic State (IS) attacks on a town in the western province of Anbar, with fighting raging on in the provincial capital of Ramadi, a provincial security source said.

Early Monday morning, dozens of IS militants, backed by heavy mortar and rocket barrage, renewed their attack on the town of Barwana, some 190 km west of Baghdad, but were repelled by government troops and local Sunni tribal fighters, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

At least 12 IS militants were killed, while five security members were wounded in the fighting, the source said, adding that the troops made an advance after they pushed back the attackers and seized the nearby village of al-Shaa'i from the extremist militants.

During the past few days, Barwana was the scene of a series of similar attacks by IS militants, who were also repelled, with air cover by Iraqi and U.S.-led coalition aircraft.

The recent IS attacks on Barwana and other areas near the town of Haditha, some 200 km west of Baghdad, came after the group lost much of Anbar's provincial capital city of Ramadi in late December.

In Ramadi, security forces and allied Sunni tribal fighters continued heavy clashes with IS militants in Soufiyah district in the eastern part of the city, which is located some 110 km west of Baghdad, the source said.

Meanwhile, the security forces called on families in the remaining part of Soufiyah and the nearby Sajjariya district to leave their homes within 48 hours, raising white flags and move toward security forces in city center in order to evacuate them to safe areas, the source added.

Security forces captured downtown Ramadi from IS control on Dec. 28, raising the Iraqi flag on the government complex there, but other parts of the city has not yet been fully secured due to a large numbers of bombs planted by the IS and because the troops wanted to avoid casualties among civilians.

Over the past few months, IS militants have been preventing civilians from leaving their homes in IS-held cities and towns in order to use them as human shields. However, some managed to escape despite the IS threat to execute them, but many others failed.

For months the troops have been fighting to retake control of key cities and towns in Anbar, Iraq's largest province, from IS militants who previously seized most of Anbar and tried to advance toward Baghdad. Endit