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On Thursday, the Iraqi Army and the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) captured ISIS last stronghold in Hawija area, al-Riyad town east of Kirkuk city, according to the PMU media wing. Iraqi government forces also captured the following 63 villages in the area:
al-Sulyman, Fadikha, al-Bakarah, al-Rumanah, al-Shaqirah, Shmlan, Farhan Hussien, al-Khan al-Thaniyah, Alloushah, Hamid Hardan, Hussien Sultan, Hassan Sultan, al-Musania’a al-Suflah, al-Musania’a al-Awliyah, al-Musania’a, Hammoud al-Tabl, Mohamad Hamid, Farhan Hassan, Ali Abulah Saleh, Saqirah al-Awliyah, Saqirah al-Suflah, al-Bua’aiyshah, al-Bujayish, al-Qurishi, Halawah, al-Khan, al-Wafiyah, al-Qudus, Saleh Ruban, al-Utibiyah, Tal al-Izam, al-Sharfiyah, Dughiylah, al-Mustafiyah, Rabzah, Azizi al-Bumufarij, Zidan Khalaf Ahmad, Azizi Tar Fadel, al-Manziylah, Umm Qasiyr, al-Syaha, al-Ayslaniyah, al-Imarah, Said Shihab, al-Mahumudiyah, Lazkat Al Hamiyd, Atshanah al-Suflah, al-Khazifi, Muratah al-Kabirah, Sayid Hassan, Arab Dawd Sulyman, al-Khalidiah Dawd Sulyman, Abu Kasah, Umm al-Duniyah, al-Rasuliyah, al-Salamiyah, al-Akulah, al-Najatiyah, Babujan, al-Hamadaniyah, Nikar al-Kabir, Nikar al-Jala’aw, Sin al-Ziban.
By this, Hawija area is now under the full control of the Iraqi Army. However, a security operation will likely continue in the liberated area to capture or kill the remaining ISIS fighters.
Government forces killed during its advance dozens of ISIS fighters including 2 snipers and 5 suicide attackers, and destroyed 3 VBIEDs of ISIS, according to the PMU media wing.
PMU military engineers are now removing IEDs and mines from the liberated areas, and reopening roads to allow civilians to go back to their houses.
The next target for government forces will be for sure ISIS last stronghold in Iraq, al-Qa’im city on the Syrian-Iraqi border. The military operation to capture al-Qa’im city will likely start very soon, as there is already a big force of the Iraqi Army and the PMU deployed there.
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The SAA coalition is suffering because the border is not secured. That operation should be simultaneous with this one and even the earlier one on that pocket west of Mosul. Why does it take so long, ISIS resistance is overtaken so easily in these operations…
Indeed Al Qaim operation has been waiting for far to long. Time for the Iraqi’s to move on it!
against kurds
you all are dreaming about saa retakes golan. if saa is able to defeat idf, must be enough strong also to close syrian borders alone.
I agree with you.too many yanqistani fat cats have money invested in golan oil including that renegade media tycoon murdoch!
but my opinion is, that golan belongs to syria. :)
I agree with you totally!
well done iraqis ……but now dont stop there…..you have a great number of well equipped soldiers…..try to help the Syrians a bit. go for the border area.
Never trust the US or Kurds as long as Israel interests are still a concern , clear the border and end any possibility of linking up with Syrian/Turkish Kurd Leaders as they are also pushing to link up with Barzani/Turkish/Iranian Kurds and starting another war at the behest of the Israelis and US Govts. The Israeli Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer already had met with many top officials in the US to discuss this very issue and how to get support for it in September 12th.