Security forces fight IS militants, free villages near Iraq's Fallujah

Iraqi security forces on Tuesday freed several villages as clashes with Islamic State (IS) militants continued for the second day around the city of Fallujah as part of an offensive aimed at liberating the IS main stronghold in Iraq's western province of Anbar, a security source said.

Security forces, together with Shiite and Sunni paramilitary units, known as Hashd Shaabi, freed the villages of Albu Hadid, al-Jaghaifa, al-Yousifi and Lehaib in east of the IS-held city of Fallujah, some 50 km west of the Iraqi capital, after fierce clashes with the extremist militants, a security source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The troops also drove out the IS militants from their positions and freed the villages of Albu Uoda, al-Abbasi, Albu Khanfar in north of Fallujah, the source said.

Meanwhile, two suicide bombers detonated their explosive packed trucks near an army convoy near the militant-seized town of Saqlawiyah, in north of Fallujah, destroying four military vehicles and killing ten soldiers and wounding nine others, the source said.

The twin suicide bomb attacks were followed by attack of dozens of IS militants on the nearby security positions, but air strikes by U.S.-led coalition warplanes foiled the attack after killing 25 IS militants and destroying seven of their vehicles, the source added.

Separately, an Iraqi army helicopter gunship destroyed an explosive-laden car and killed its suicide bomber in Rashad area in east of the town of Garma, some 10 km northeast of Fallujah, before reaching the positions of the security forces, he said.

On Monday morning, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the launch of the offensive to claim Fallujah, during a time in which the country is struggling in a chaos to reshuffle the cabinet.

"The offensive aiming to free Fallujah has begun. Fallujah's liberation alarm has rung, and the great victory is approaching, when IS militants will have no option except to flee," Abadi said whilst addressing the nation on the state-run Iraqiya television channel.

"Fallujah will return to Iraqis similar to the hundreds of villages and towns which were returned to its people and were liberated from the IS's oppression and treachery," Abadi said.

After initial shelling on Fallujah and IS positions in other areas in the early morning hours of Monday, the troops covered by U.S.-led coalition and Iraqi aircrafts advanced toward the edges of Fallujah as well as the nearby small towns of Garma and Saqlawiyah.

On Monday evening, the troops recaptured the town of Garma and raised the Iraqi flag on a government building after fierce clashes during the day with the extremist militants who were forced to withdraw from the town.

During the past few months, security forces and allied Hashd Shaabi units carried out operations around Fallujah so as to tighten the troops' grip on the besieged city and nearby small towns in order to free them from IS militants.

Government troops and allied militias have currently been fighting for months to reclaim key cities and towns in Anbar from IS militants, who attempted to advance towards Baghdad after seizing most of Anbar province. Endit