23 IS militants killed in clashes, airstrikes in Iraq

A total of 23 Islamic State (IS) militants were killed Saturday in clashes with Iraqi security forces and in air strikes, as troops continue battles to liberate a town in Iraq's western province of Anbar, security sources said.

Security forces and allied paramilitary Sunni tribal fighters fought fierce battles with IS militants on Saturday, as part of their offensive to drive out IS militants from the town of Heet, 160 km west of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The troops extended their grip and took control of al-Zaytoon area in the southern par to of Heet, the source said.

However, sporadic clashes continued to clear remaining districts held by IS militants in the western parts of the town, the source added.

During the past few days, troops have been advancing slowly in the battleground town in order to give opportunity to thousands of civilians trapped in Heet to flee their homes.

On Tuesday, the troops seized the government compound and raised the Iraqi flag on a main building after the extremist militants withdrew from the downtown and the eastern part of Heet, but clashes are underway to flush out the extremist militants from the western part of the town.

Separately, U.S.-led coalition aircraft bombarded IS position in Jazira area near the town of Khaldiyah, some 80 km west of Baghdad, leaving 17 IS militants killed, the source said.

Meanwhile, 12 soldiers were killed when a suicide car bomber detonated an explosive-laden car near a security position in Albu Bali area east of the provincial capital city Ramadi, some 110 km west of Baghdad, the source added.

Last December, the troops recovered Ramadi, the provincial capital of the country's largest province of Anbar.

In Salahudin province, the security forces fought fiercely with dozens of IS militants who tried to seize the positions of the security forces in Fat'ha area, some 210 km north f Baghdad, a provincial security source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The troops forced the attackers to withdraw after killing six of them, the source said, adding that one security member was also killed and four others wounded.

Iraqi security forces and allied Sunni paramilitary tribal units have been battling IS militants for re-control of large territories in northern and western Iraq that have been seized by the IS since June 2014. Endit