Baghdad: The Iraqi security forces have launched an operation to liberate the Islamic State of the city of al-Qaim in Anbar province, which borders Syria, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Al-Qaim is the last ISIS-held city in the country.
According to the military, the city is controlled by about 1,500 militants. The Iraqi military already entered the first quarters, knocking out militants from there. The beginning of the operation to liberate the last bastion of ISIS in Iraq was preceded by aviadars and shelling of jihadist positions by the International Coalition, as well as ground operations by the Iraqi army to liberate the villages around al-Qaim.
“Near Al Qaim, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a command and control node, two weapons caches, a VBIED headquarters and two VBIED factoriess.,” Front News International was told in the International Coalition on strikes on the eve of the beginning of the operation.
In June 2014, the ISIS militants captured a significant part of Anbar province.