Iraqi troops liberate dozens of families in Ramadi

Iraqi forces liberate dozens of families held by Daesh terrorists in Ramadi as they make their way through the city where remnants of the Takfiri group have still a presence.

Army troops regained control over a number of neighborhoods about 110 kilometers (68 miles) west of the capital, Baghdad, on Wednesday.

An army commander said two colleges and the southern al-Sufi outskirts in Ramadi, the capital of the Anbar province, were liberated.

“If Allah helps us, all the tasks scheduled in the coming days will be completed, and we will finish the liberation of al-Anbar,” he said.

Last month, Iraqi army and voluntary fighters entered the city which had been under Daesh control since May. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi visited Ramadi a day after it was liberated.

As troops secure the shattered city, traumatized families have scrambled from the rubble, telling of summary executions by Daesh terrorists.

On Wednesday, Iraqi security personnel shot down a surveillance drone operated by the Daesh Takfiris west of Ramadi. The drone was used to monitor military units deployed in the region.

This file photo shows an F-16 fighter jet operated by the Iraqi Air Force.

Separately, Iraqi aircraft struck a militant base in the town of al-Qaim about 500 km (about 310 miles) west of Baghdad, killing a close aide to the Daesh ringleader.

The slain militant commander was later identified as Abu Abdullah Qurayshi.

The northern and western parts of Iraq have been plagued by violence ever since Daesh began an offensive in Iraqi territory in June 2014.

Army soldiers and Popular Mobilization units have joined forces and are seeking to take back militant-held regions in joint operations.

According to a US report released earlier this month, Daesh Takfiris have lost 40 percent of their territory in Iraq.

The terrorist group still holds much of northern and western Iraq, including the country’s second-largest city Mosul, and large parts of Syria.