Iraqi army and ISIS militants battle reaches Baghdad

Forty Iraqis have been killed during fierce battles between the army and elements of the Islamic State (ISIS) across the country especially in the towns of Dhuluiya and Muqdadiyah, the fighting has now spread to new areas including Baghdad, Al-Arab Al-Yawm news website reported.

The new developments coincide with Al-Anbar Province’s Operations Commander General Rashid Falih’s announcement that the Iraqi security agencies and tribal members have formed secret groups to liquidate ISIS elements in the cities of Qaim and Ratbah in western Al-Anbar.

Falih said in an interview with the Anadolu news agency that “Al-Anbar Operations Command has formed a group of secret military and police personnel in coordination with tribal members in the cities of Qaim and Ratbah, west of Ramadi.”

Falih pointed out that the group’s mission is to liquidate the Islamic state’s militants in the two cities and assist the Iraqi army and tribesmen to eliminate them from the entire region. However, Falih did not specify the number of the group’s members or their mechanism of action, pointing out that the information is confidential.

The formation of the new secret groups to liquidate ISIS militants who managed to expel the Syrian opposition forces outside Deir Ez-Zor to secure the transportation route between Syria and Iraq reveals the extent of the confrontations between the two sides, especially after ISIS militants executed four Syrian refugees in Iraq.