Fallujah-Irbil- Terrorist group ISIS had a go at opening up a new battlefront in the Iraqi town of Hit after being strangled down in the Fallujah barrages. Iraq’s security forces and cooperative tribal members steadily advance in Fallujah, anticipating a nearing liberation for the city.
ISIS, cornered in Fallujah, on Sunday struck Hit with a sudden offensive after terrorists slipped through the Euphrates River into the city.
On the banks of the Euphrates River, Hit is also located inside the Anbar province and lies northwest of Ramadi, the provincial capital.
Iraqi Member of Parliament (MP) Hakem al-Zameli told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that after realizing the massive losses suffered in Ramadi, Hit, al-Rabbta and other Anbar areas up against security forces, ISIS took a second chance on taking over Hit once again. He noted that Hit was liberated from ISIS a month ago.
Iraqi forces had liberated Hit in April after weeks of fighting.
“Iraqi security forces comprising army forces, counterterrorism units, policemen and tribal volunteers have been able to successfully dodge the ISIS attack on Hit. Security forces also reportedly took down over 60 ISIS terrorists, in addition to inflicting sizable damage on the group,” MP al-Zameli said.
“ISIS terrorists no longer have an effective presence in most of west Anbar’s focal towns. However, ISIS continues to perform a number of attacks aiming to distract the focus of security forces,”
“In these battles ISIS had insufferable losses whether in numbers of combatants or in artillery, which eventually forced ISIS to resort to Syria. Crossing borders, back and forth, and seeking reinforcement ISIS wishes to strengthen its weakening potencies in Anbar towns,” MP al-Zameli added.
On the other hand, Peshmerga forces — a Kurdish paramilitary outfit– launched on Sunday a vast operation covering towns and strategic topography east of Mosul and encompassing the Khazar axis.
Within the few first hours of operation launch, Peshmerga forces were able to free four towns and the Tobannd Heights. Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC), a high-level national security council in Iraqi Kurdistan, revealed that the operation is in preparation for an anticipated freeing of Mosul.
It is noteworthy that Peshmerga forces have been fighting across many areas outside the Kurdistan region, including Makhmur, Zammar, Sinjar, Kirkuk and Diyala.
According to CNN, the Mosul front is the latest to be opened up in an all-out push on key cities held by ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
The Fierce clashes erupted between the Iraqi army soldiers and ISIS in Hit resulted in commander of the Iraqi special force Fazel al-Namravi’s injury, Iraq’s al-Sumaria satellite TV network reported.
According to the report, 33 ISIS members trying to enter Hit with explosives were neutralized.
Ghastly violence has plagued the northern and western parts of Iraq ever since ISIS launched an offensive in Iraq two years ago.
The Iraqi military and volunteer fighters are engaged in joint military operations to win back ISIS-held regions.
Tags: Anbar, Iraq, ISIS, Parliament, Battlefield, Security Forces, Hit, Fallujah, Peshmerga