Security forces kill at least 17 IS militants in western Iraq

Iraqi security forces on Thursday killed at least 17 Islamic State (IS) militants in the western province of Anbar, a security source said.

The security forces and allied paramilitary Sunni tribal fighters clashed with IS militants in the district of Sajjariyah in the eastern part of provincial capital Ramadi, 110 km west of Baghdad, killing 17 IS militants, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

It was not clear if any government troops were killed or wounded in the fighting.

The battle came as the troops continued their operation in Sajjariyah, where buildings were heavily rigged with explosives by extremists, amid sporadic attacks by pockets of IS militants, the source said.

On Dec. 28, government troops captured most of Ramadi, though some part of city remains under IS control.

Government troops and allied militias have been fighting for months to regain control of key cities from IS militants in Anbar, Iraq's largest province.

IS militants had previously seized most of Anbar and attempted to advance toward Baghdad.

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