Military forces in Iraq have advanced deeper into the center of the last remaining district held by Daesh terrorists in the city of Ramadi, an army spokesman has announced.
The Iraqi army’s joint operations command spokesman Brigadier Yahya Rasool said on Saturday that the troops pressed their way overnight into the Hoz neighborhood of the city, one of the key targets of an operation that began on Tuesday and where the provincial government compound is located.
“The counter-terrorism forces are within 800 meters (0.5 mile) from the government complex,” Rasool said, adding that Iraqi forces pushed one kilometer deeper into the city yesterday.
The military official said that, “Airstrikes helped detonate explosive devices and booby-trapped houses, facilitating our advance.”
He declined, however, to offer a time frame for the final push to drive out the foreign-backed terrorist elements.
Iraqi pro-government tribal forces hold a position in the Tel Mushaihed area, east of Ramadi, 100 kilometers west of Baghdad, December 17, 2015. (Photo by AFP)
“The campaign’s priority is to avoid casualties among civilians and the troops, no matter how long it takes,” he emphasized.
Iraqi military commanders said earlier in the week that the Ramadi offensive would take several days to accomplish intended targets.
The recapture of Ramadi, which was overrun by Daesh terrorists back in May, would represent one of the most significant victories scored by the Iraqi military forces since Daesh started a large-scale offensive in Iraq in 2014.
Following the completion of the Ramadi offensive, the army plans to prepare for a new operation to recapture the northern city of Mosul, the most populated city held by the Daesh terrorists.
“The liberation of dear Mosul will be achieved with the cooperation and unity of all Iraqis after the victory in Ramadi,” Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Friday.
PressTV
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