54 IS militants killed as Iraqi forces gain ground in IS-held town

A total of 54 Islamic State (IS) militants were killed Thursday in bomb attacks on IS positions and clashes with security forces who extended control of a town in Iraq's western province of Anbar, a provincial security source said.

Security forces and allied paramilitary Sunni tribal fighters fought fierce clashes with IS militants, and made a new progress in their offensive to drive out IS militants from the town of Heet, 160 km west of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Late on Wednesday night, the troops retook control of Qindi and Shaqoufa districts in the western part of Heet after hours of heavy clashes, leaving 25 IS militants killed and destroying six of their vehicles, the source said.

On Thursday, the troops extended their grip and took control of Dawara area in western Heet after clashes with the extremist militants that left some 15 of them killed, he said.

However, sporadic clashes continued to clear remaining districts held by IS militants in the western parts of the town, the source said.

During the past few days, troops have been advancing slowly in the battleground town in order to give opportunity to thousands of civilians trapped in Heet to flee their homes.

The troops were also slowed by dozens of roadside bombs and booby-trapped vehicles and buildings planted earlier by IS militants, the source said.

On Tuesday, the troops seized the government compound and raised the Iraqi flag on a main building after the extremist militants withdrew from the downtown and the eastern part of Heet, but clashes are underway to flush out the extremist militants from the western part of the town.

Separately, Iraqi artillery and rockets shelled IS positions near Albu Dhiyab area in north of Ramadi, killing at least 12 militants, the source said citing intelligence reports.

Also in the province, Iraqi warplanes bombarded an IS position at a warehouse in Zuwiya area to the west of the militant-seized city of Fallujah, leaving at least two IS militants killed and six others wounded, the source added.

Last December, the troops recovered Ramadi, the provincial capital of the country's largest province of Anbar.

Iraqi security forces and allied Sunni paramilitary tribal units have been battling IS militants to repossess control of large territories in northern and western Iraq, seized by the IS since June 2014.

Source: XINHUA