Iraqi forces re-group during a military operation in Diyala Province on Jan 24, 2015. AFP[/caption]Iraqs Defense Ministry says the military, with the support of volunteer forces and pro-government tribes, has managed to fully purge the western town of Baghdadi of the ISIL Takfiri terrorists.
According to Iraqi media reports, the defense ministry in a statement added that the forces are now moving toward the city of Hit, northwest of Ramadi, the capital of Anbar Province, expressing hope that the city would be liberated soon.
Following Baghdadis liberation, its residents celebrated the victory over ISIL.
The Takfiri group captured most of Baghdadi, which is located about 85 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of Ramadi, on February 12 after besieging it for months. It is home to an airbase that houses hundreds of US Marines.
Anbar Province, which borders Syria, is regarded as a major stronghold of ISIL.
The terrorists (two of them pictured below) control parts of northern and western Iraq as well as eastern Syria.
The Takfiri militants have been carrying out horrific acts of violence, including public decapitations, against Iraqi communities such as Shias, Sunnis, Kurds and Christians.
Iraqi soldiers, police units, Kurdish forces, Shia volunteers and Sunni tribesmen are engaged in joint operations to drive the terrorists out of the areas they have under control.
By Press TV
