Iraqi Commander Declares Full Liberation of Fallujah-Ramadi Highway

“The Iraqi security and Hash al-Shaabi (popular forces) could liberate the highway during their effots to retake al-Khalediya Island,” Ameri said on Saturday.

Noting that Bobali, Abu Obaid and al-Qartan villages and a number of towns adjacent to the highway have also been freed, he underlined that liberation of these villages and towns indicates the collapse of Fallujah and Ramadi.

The Iraqi popular forces, supported by the air force, could retake 3km of al-Khalediya Island (23km East of Ramadi) only hours after the start of operations to liberate the region on Saturday.

The attacks to free al-Khalediya Island in al-Anbar province from the ISIL terrorists are being led by al-Jazira and Badiya operations command center.

An army officer said on Saturday that the Iraqi forces entered al-Khalediya Island from al-Zouya region.

Reports said earlier this week that commanders of the ISIL terrorist group have ordered their forces and family members to leave their last bases and strongholds in Western Iraq as Iraq’s military forces are preparing to launch massive military operations in the region, local sources said Tuesday.

“The Iraqi military forces are preparing to capture the last ISIL strongholds in Western Iraq and the military equipment for these operations have been fully supplied and transferred, and we are waiting for the final order by the joint operations command center to attack al-Khalediya Island and Heet town in the Western parts of al-Anbar province,” Head of the Security Committee of al-Anbar province’s Council Rajeh al-Issawi said on Tuesday.

Also, a local source in Western Iraq said that the ISIL commanders and their families have fled the al-Baghdadi island in the Western parts of Heet, one of the most notorious ISIL bases.

The source added that ISIL commanders, fearing the Iraqi army and popular forces’ rapid advance, have fled towards al-Qae’m town in Western al-Anbar.