Security forces foil IS attack in Shirqat, free new area in western Iraq

Iraqi security forces on Saturday foiled an overnight attack by Islamic State (IS) militants on the newly-freed town of Shirqat in the northern part of Salahudin province, while the troops freed rural area from IS militants in Iraq's western province of Anbar, security source said.

In Salahudin province, dozens of IS militants attacked the town of Shirqat, some 280 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, late on Friday night and seized some areas in the town, which was freed late in September by the security forces and allied paramilitary units, known as Hashd Shaabi, a provincial security source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Early in the morning, the troops backed by U.S.-led coalition aircraft, drove out the attackers and killed at least eight militants and forced the others to flee the town across the adjacent Tigris River, the source said.

The troops also retook control of a village near Shirqat, which was also seized by some 40 IS militants over the night, the source added.

In Anbar province, the security forces and allied paramilitary Sunni tribal fighters drove out IS militants from al-Zwiya area, a sprawling agricultural land to the west of the town of Heet, some 160 km west of Baghdad, a provincial security source anonymously told Xinhua.

The clashes in Zwiya area left at least nine IS militants killed and destroyed four of their vehicles, while a soldier was killed and three others wounded, the source said.

Iraq has witnessed worsening violence since the IS took control of parts of its northern and western regions in June 2014. Endit