Security forces free 2 villages in Iraq's Anbar, 27 IS militants killed

Iraqi security forces on Friday liberated two villages from Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq's western province of Anbar, as the troops killed 27 IS militants, including six suicide bombers, a provincial security source said.

The security forces and allied paramilitary Sunni tribal units, backed by Iraqi and U.S.-led coalition aircraft, freed the villages of Khazraj and Nuwy'im in west of the town of Heet, some 160 km west of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, after fierce clashes with the extremist militants, the source said on condition of anonymity.

The battles in the two villages resulted in the killing of 13 IS militants and two soldiers and the wounding of five others, the source said, adding that two suicide car bombs tried to attack the troops but the troops destroyed the two vehicles and killed the suicide bombers.

Separately, international warplanes bombarded an IS position in Albu Shejil area in north of the IS-held city of Fallujah, some 50 km west of Baghdad, leaving eight IS militants killed, the source said.

Meanwhile, the troops killed another suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest near the police station in the town of Kubaisa, some 20 km southwest of Heet, the source added.

Moreover, three suicide car bombers tried to attack the security forces positions in Ma'amier area in north of Fallujah, but the international warplanes destroyed them and killed the suicide bombers before reaching their targets, the source said.

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

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

Source: XINHUA