Iraqi Special Forces managed to liberate a new district of the Iraqi city of Mousl from the grip of extremist ISIS group on Monday, as Popular Mobilization Forces advanced towards the borders with Syria from the western side of the city during the recent period. Meanwhile Iraq’s Ministry of Defense revealed that airstrikes managed to carry out a military operation to kill three leading members in Anbar.
Iraqi Ministry of Defense’s War Media Cell announced, on Monday, killing three leading members of ISIS extremist group, in addition to destroying a cache of weapons and two hideouts, west of Anbar. The cell said in a statement that Jazeera and Anbar Operations Commands started to search the areas of Haditha Warehouses and Wadi Houran, southwest of Kabisa.
The operation resulted in the killing of 14 terrorists of the Islamic State, the statement added. Also, an international coalition air strike destroyed two hideouts and killed 21 terrorists in Rawa District. Noteworthy, Iraqi Army Aviation and international coalition air force are intensifying air strikes on important targets and headquarters, belonging to the Islamic State, west of Anbar, in preparation to liberate the area from the terrorist group’s control.
In the same context, The number of dispalced families who had been repatriated to their hometowns in Anbar has stood at more than 165.000, according to the Iraqi government.
The Ministry of Migration and Displacement director in Anbar, Mohamed Rasheed, said in a press statement on Monday that while 165.107 families returned to their home areas in the province since mid 2016, there are more than 300.000 families still displaced outside the province.
The war against Islamic State militants in Iraq has displaced more than four million Iraqis since January 2014, according to Iraqi government figures. More than 670.000 were displaced since Iraqi government forces, backed by a U.S.-led coalition moved in October to drive the group out of Mosul, its largest urban stronghold in Iraq.
Islamic State militants have held Anbar’s western towns of Annah, Qaim and Rawa since 2014. Fighter jets from the Iraqi army and the allied U.S.-led coalition have also regularly pounded IS locations in the province. Local officials believe Islamic State is holding thousands of civilians at its western strongholds to use them as human shields against any future security offensive.
The Iraqi government and army commanders say they will  aim at IS havens in Anbar once it is finished with eliminating the group from Mosul, its biggest bastion in Iraq. IS has escalated its attacks against army and paramilitary forces in the province over the past few months, leaving several personnel dead.
On the other hand, Local residents on Monday accused Iraqi forces of stealing equipment and machinery from a market in the city’s right bank
In Mousl, An Iraqi paramilitary leader said Tuesday that pro-government forces recaptured Qairawan region, west of Nineveh, from Islamic State militants, a major victory at IS-held regions near the borders with Syria. Hadi al-Ameri, secretary-general of Badr Organization, said Qairawan was recaptured in a “quick overnight operation” backed by Iraqi army fighter jets.
Ameri’s militia is part of al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Units), the alliance of Shia-led troops which has been fighting IS alongside the government forces since 2014. PMUs launched operations to retake Qairawan and neighboring Baaj more than a week ago, retaking several villages since then. The operation ran parallel to a seven-month campaign to clear Mosul from Islamic State militants.
The Iraqi Joint Operations Command said recently it controls at least 89.5 percent of territory in western Mosul. Operations to retake that section of the city launched mid February. Eastern Mosul was recaptured in January. Some generals predict the city to be cleared from IS militants by the end of this month, specifically before the holy month of Ramadan, which begins on 27th.