Army forces kill 36 ISIL Takfiri militants in Iraq

Iraqi government forces backed by military aircraft have engaged members of the ISIL militant group during a series of cleanup operations in the western and northern parts of the country, killing dozens of the terrorists in the process.

According to a statement released by the Iraqi Defense Ministry, 12 ISIL extremists were killed and 15 others wounded as Iraqi troopers exchanged heavy fire with the terrorists in al-Salam district of the troubled western province of Anbar, located 115 kilometers (70 miles) west of the capital, Baghdad, on Wednesday.

The statement further noted that Iraqi forces destroyed a tanker truck rigged with explosives during the operation.

A total of eight ISIL militants were also killed and 14 others injured after Iraqi fighter jets carried out precision strikes in Albu Shajal district of the same province. Iraqi military aircraft also destroyed 13 vehicles used by the militants that had heavy machine guns mounted on.

Furthermore, Iraqi army troopers killed twelve ISIL Takfiris and destroyed seven militant hideouts as well as four vehicles during an operation in the town of al-Karma, located 48 kilometers (30 miles) west of Baghdad, on Wednesday.

A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, also said Iraqi security forces backed by pro-government Popular Mobilization Units repelled an attack by ISIL militants on al-Gharbia district of the northern province of Salahuddin, killing four ISIL militants in the process.

Five members of the Popular Mobilization Units also sustained injuries in the fighting.

Northern and western parts of Iraq have been in chaos since ISIL started its campaign of terror in early June 2014. The terrorists are in control of the city of Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, and they have swept through parts of the country’s heartland.

Since then, Iraq’s army has been joined by Kurdish forces, Shia and Sunni volunteers in operations to drive the ISIL terrorists out of the areas they have seized.