Iraqi forces clash with IS militants, recapture village near Ramadi

Iraqi security forces on Wednesday fought fierce battles with Islamic State (IS) militants and recaptured a village near the city of Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, a security source said.

The troops and allied paramilitary Sunni tribal fighters carried out an offensive on IS militants at the edges of the areas of Albu Bali and Albu Obeid, just northeast of Ramadi, some 110 km west of Baghdad, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

U.S.-led coalition and Iraqi aircraft carried out air strikes on IS headquarters and their positions in the battleground, the source said.

The source could not give exact figures about casualties among the IS group as heavy battles continued during the day, but said that dozens of extremist militants were killed and wounded in the clashes and air raids, while six security members were killed and 13 others wounded.

Separately, security forces covered by Iraqi aircraft freed al-Asryah Village in northwest of Ramadi after clashes with IS militants who were forced to withdraw from their positions to other IS-held areas closer to the militant-seized town of Heet, some 160 km west of Baghdad, the source said.

The clashes in the village left at least 17 IS militants dead and four of their vehicles destroyed, the source added.

Government troops and allied militias have been fighting for months 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