Iraqi forces kill ISIL commander in Anbar

Units of Iraqi security forces, backed by local tribesmen, have killed a senior commander of the ISIL Takfiri terrorists during a military operation in the western province of Anbar.

A provincial security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Iraqi soldiers backed by fighters from Albu Nimr and al-Ubaid tribes carried out an offensive in al-Jazeera district of the town of Khalidiya, located about 83 kilometers (50 miles) west of the capital, Baghdad, on Monday, Iraq’s al-Sumaria satellite TV network reported.

The source added that the ISIL commander, known as Jubair al-Alkawi, was killed along with eight other terrorists in the operation. The slain ISIL figure was responsible for the death of dozens of civilians and security personnel in Anbar.

The report comes as members of the ISIL Takfiri terrorist group are engaged in crimes against humanity in areas under their control.

Local official, Mowaffaq Hamid al-Azawi, said on February 6 that ISIL executed sixteen people in the western neighborhood of al-Islah, the city of Mosul, located some 400 kilometers (248 miles) north of Baghdad, after the men refused to pledge allegiance to the terrorist group’s leader, Ibrahim al-Samarrai, also known as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

The development came on the same day as the ISIL militants immolated three civilians in the town of Hit after accusing them of collaborating with the Iraqi security forces.

The ISIL terrorists have also executed a Jordanian pilot they held captive. Moaz al-Kassasbeh was captured in December. On February 3, ISIL posted a video online showing the terrorists burning the airman to death.

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.

Iraqi soldiers, police units, Kurdish forces, Shia volunteers and Sunni tribesmen have succeeded in driving the ISIL terrorists out of some areas in Iraq.