42 IS Militants Killed In Clashes, Air Strikes In Western Iraq

A total of 42 Islamic State (IS) militants were killed and 28 were wounded on Sunday in clashes with Iraqi security forces and air strikes by Iraqi and U.S.-led coalition aircraft in Iraq's western province of Anbar, a provincial security and medical sources told Xinhua.

Fierce clashes erupted between Iraqi security forces and allied paramilitary units, known as Hashd Shaabi, and IS militants in Mudheij area in east of the IS-held provincial capital city of Ramadi, leaving at least 12 IS militants killed, the source said on condition of anonymity.

Three security members were also killed and six others wounded during the battle, the source said.

Meanwhile, Iraqi warplanes bombarded IS positions in Albu Haiyat area in east of the town of Haditha, some 200 km west of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, destroying several positions and killing 13 militants, the source added.

Separately, international warplanes bombed an IS headquarters in Falahat area in west of the militant-seized city of Fallujah, leaving eight militants killed and 15 others wounded, a medical source from the city hospital said.

In Fallujah, the U.S.-led coalition aircraft bombarded a garage used by IS to repair their vehicles in the industrial district in the eastern part of the city, killing four IS militants and wounding six others, the medical source added.

The international warplanes also pounded an IS position on a bridge in the town of Heet, some 160 km west of Baghdad, destroying the bridge and leaving five militants killed and seven others wounded, a medical source from Heet hospital told Xinhua.

The attacks came as the Iraqi security forces and Hashd Shaabi units recaptured several areas on the edges of Ramadi as part of their offensive to surround the city and clear it later from IS militants.

The troops have been fighting for months to retake control of key cities and towns in Iraq's largest province from the extremist IS militants, who seized most of Anbar and tried to advance towards Baghdad. (Cihan/Xinhua)