Security forces fight IS in Iraq, recapture 2 villages

Iraqi security forces Wednesday fought Islamic State (IS) militants in western and northern Iraq, regaining control of two villages near the IS-controlled city of Mosul, security sources said.

Kurdish security forces, Known as Peshmerga, and allied Sunni Arab tribal fighters, launched an offensive against IS posts in the southeast of Mosul, managing to recapture the villages of Gdeilah and Khattab.

The recapture of the two villages followed heavy clashes with IS militants who were forced to withdraw from the villages, a Kurdish security source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The clashes were ongoing amongst both sides as the troops, who were supported by the U.S.-led air craft coalition, planned their advance into the IS-controlled town of Qayyara, 50 km south of Mosul, the source said without providing further details concerning casualties.

The offensive aims to sever the supply routes between IS strongholds in Hawijah and nearby Shirqat in the south of Qayyara and Nineveh's northern provincial capital city of Mosul.

In Iraq's western province of Anbar, Iraqi security forces and allied paramilitary Sunni tribal units continued their operation in the district of Sajjariyah in the eastern provincial capital city of Ramadi, 110 km west of Baghdad.

Meanwhile, IS militants densely planted bombs in buildings, whilst a few IS militants carried out sporadic attacks against the troops using the buildings as hideouts, a provincial security source anonymously told Xinhua.

International and Iraqi aircraft provided air support to the security forces as heavy clashes erupted between IS militants and the troops as they advanced towards Juwaiba and Huseiba al-Sharqiyah, east of Ramadi, the source said.

Iraqi security forces fought heavily with IS militants in Albu Shejil in the eastern town of Khaldiyah, 80 km west of Baghdad, killing many IS militants, including a few local leaders, added the source.

Government troops and allied militias have been fighting for months now in order to regain control of key cities from IS militants in the towns in Anbar, Iraq's largest province, as IS militants had previously seized most of Anbar and attempted to advance towards Baghdad.

Iraq is currently witnessing a massive wave of violence since IS gained control of sections of Iraq's northern and western regions in June 2014, when surprisingly Iraqi government forces abandoned their weapons and posts and fled. Endit