Security forces regain new ground from IS in Iraq's Ramadi

Iraqi security forces on Wednesday continued fighting Islamic State (IS), clearing new areas in the city of Ramadi, the capital of Iraq's western province of Anbar, while 11 terrorists were killed in an airstrike by Iraqi aircraft on IS meeting near the border with Syria, security sources said.

Security forces and allied Sunni tribal fighters covered by Iraqi and U.S.-led coalition aircraft in the early morning made significant advance in Soufiyah district in the eastern part of Ramadi, some 110 km west of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, and managed to take control of the district after heavy clashes with IS militants, a provincial security source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The liberation of Soufiyah came after a two-day cease-fire in the district which aimed at giving an opportunity for families to leave their homes, as security forces on Monday declared that civilians had 48 hours to leave raising white flags and move toward security forces in the city center in order to evacuate them to safe areas.

During the cease-fire, which ended in the first hours of Wednesday, more than 250 civilians were evacuated, including seven wounded people who were shot by IS militants in an attempt to prevent them from leaving their homes.

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.

Wednesday clashes in Soufiyah resulted in the killing of 30 IS militants and the capture of 12 others, along with destroying nine vehicles, while six security members were killed and 10 others wounded, the source said.

At the end of the day, the troops began clashes with the extremist militants in the adjacent IS stronghold of Sajjariyah district, which will be the next target for the troops in the upcoming days.

Meanwhile, Major General Ismail al-Mahallawi, commander of the provincial Operations Command, told reporters that the 10th Army Division, allied security forces and Sunni tribal fighters began their advance toward the IS-held area of Albu Eitha in northeastern Ramadi.

"The operation included major attack by a large number of tanks toward the Albu Eitha under the cover of heavy artillery and aircraft bombardment on IS positions," al-Mahallawi said, adding that the troops are facing pockets of resistance from IS militants.

Security forces captured downtown Ramadi from IS control on Dec. 28, raising the Iraqi flag on the government complex there, but small 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.

Separately, Iraqi warplanes bombarded a building in the town of Qaim, some 330 km northwest of Baghdad, said to be housing a meeting of IS militants and some of their leaders, the Iraqi Interior Ministry said in a statement obtained by Xinhua.

It said the airstrike was based on intelligence reports and killed 11 IS militants, including six prominent leaders of the terrorist group, and wounded seven militants, the statement said.

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. Enditem