15 Daesh Takfiris killed as army jets strike areas in eastern Iraq

Rasa - More than a dozen members of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group have been killed when Iraqi Air Force fighter jets carried out a string of airstrikes against militant hideouts in the country’s eastern province of Diyala.

News ID: 438778

Date: 22 July 2018 - 22:51

RNA - Lieutenant General Mezhir al-Azzawi, provincial commander of security forces, said the Iraqi aircraft bombarded terrorist hideouts in Balkana area, located some 110 kilometers northeast of the provincial capital Baquba, leaving 15 Daesh Takfiris dead.

Azzawi added that local militant commanders were among the slain extremists.

Separately, a security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a Daesh terrorist was captured at a security checkpoint in Tal Afar city, located 63 kilometers west of Mosul.

The source added that the militant had classified documents with him when he was arrested.

Iraqi security forces also conducted an operation in the country's northern Salahuddin province, where they destroyed an arms depot belonging to the remnants of Daesh terrorist group.

The weapons cache reportedly contained 28 hand grenades as well as bomb-making materials.

On June 30, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who is also the commander-in-chief of Iraqi forces, pledged to hunt down Daesh militants across Iraq after recent attacks and abductions carried out by the terrorist group.

“We will chase the remaining cells of terrorism in their hideouts and we will kill them, we will chase them everywhere, in the mountains and the desert,” Abadi said.

According to Press TV, Abadi declared the end of military operations against Daesh in the Arab country on December 9, 2017.

On July 10 that year, the Iraqi prime minister had formally declared victory over Daesh extremists in Mosul, which served as the terrorists’ main urban stronghold in the conflict-ridden Arab country.

In the run-up to Mosul's liberation, Iraqi army soldiers and volunteer Hashd al-Sha’abi fighters had made sweeping gains against Daesh.

The Iraqi forces took control of eastern Mosul in January 2017 after 100 days of fighting, and launched the battle in the west on February 19 last year.

Daesh began a terror campaign in Iraq in 2014, overrunning vast swathes in lightning attacks.

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