Iraq Army kills dozens of ISIL terrorists
The Iraqi Army has killed as many as 67 ISIL Takfiri terrorists in the north-central and eastern provinces of Salahuddin and Anbar.
Iraq’s Defense Ministry said the terrorists were killed in separate operations in the cities of Tikrit in Salahuddin, north of Baghdad, and Anbar’s provincial capital of Ramadi.
On Saturday, troops, armored vehicles, and a rocket launcher were seen firing towards targets on the outskirts of Salahuddin, where, local media say, the army and volunteer forces have advanced towards central Tikrit, which was seized by ISIL in June last year.
The city’s recapture is crucial for the army in its quest to take control of Iraq’s second-largest city, Mosul, situated some 400 kilometers (248 miles) north of Baghdad.
The operations for the complete liberation of Tikrit have been resumed after a 10-day hiatus to let civilians leave the city.
The development comes as Press TV correspondent Rahshan Saglam in Tikrit reported that the Iraqi forces with the help of Shia and Sunni volunteers are pushing ahead with their offensive against the Takfiri terrorists and are advancing towards the hospital of Tikrit, which has turned into a stronghold for the extremists, in their attempt to reach the center of the city.
“The police forces are conducting anti-ISIL attacks to cleanse the center of Tikrit. The operation is going as planned. We had only one problem with the Shishin Valley, however, we were able to cross [to] the other side after dismantling of explosive devices,” an Iraqi general told Press TV.
The Iraqi forces also managed to kill a foreign sniper holed up in the hospital of Tikrit during their operation overnight and captured two other terrorists, who later succumbed to their injuries.
The government-allied Popular Mobilization Units, meanwhile, rejected media reports that their fighters have retreated from their positions in Tikrit, with a member telling Press TV that “the military operations are continuing,” and they “were able to take over some buildings,” which had been used by ISIL snipers.
ISIL started its campaign of terror in Iraq in early June 2014. The heavily-armed militants took control of Mosul before sweeping through parts of the country’s Sunni Arab heartland.
HN/MR/HSN/AS
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