Operations to liberate Ramadi were stopped because of weather conditions and heavy rains, Staff Major General Ismail Mahalawi, the commander officer for Anbar operations, said on Thursday.
He added that Iraqi forces and volunteer fighters are facing difficulty in moving and advancing towards the center of Ramadi, the provincial capital of Anbar Province, due to the weather conditions, and are now focusing on beefing up defense.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="555"]
Iraqi volunteer fighters from the Popular Mobilization units, fighting alongside Iraqi army forces, advance during a military operation against Daesh militants in the center of Baiji, north of the capital, Baghdad, October 19, 2015. (Photo by AFP)[/caption]Brigadier General Yahya Rasoul, a senior Iraqi military official, confirmed on Wednesday that army troopers and Popular Mobilization fighters have wrested control of 80 percent of Anbar, adding that central parts of Ramadi, located about 110 kilometers (68 miles) west of the capital, Baghdad, have been liberated.
Iraqi forces are advancing in Anbar Province after they managed to seize full control over central Ramadi, Rasoul said, adding, The Iraqi army and popular forces are also retaking full control over the northern and southern parts of the Ramadi city.
Dozens of Daesh terrorists have reportedly been killed during the ongoing mop-up operations across the region.
The northern and western parts of Iraq have been plagued by violence ever since Daesh began its terror activities through Iraqi territory in June 2014. Army soldiers and Popular Mobilization units have joined forces, and are seeking to take back militant-held regions in joint operations.
By Press TV
