BAGHDAD, June 3 (NNN-NINA) – Iraqi security forces, on Tuesday, launched a major offensive to hunt down Daesh militants in the provinces of Kirkuk and Salahudin, the Iraqi military said.
The troops, backed by Iraqi and international coalition aircraft, pushed in early morning, in five routes, to secure the desert and rugged areas between the two provinces, Yahia Rasoul, spokesman of the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi forces said, in a statement.
So far, the troops managed to kill two militants and destroy three of their hideouts and a number of tunnels, along with destroying a booby-trapped car and various weapons and ammunition, Rasoul said.
The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who is also the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi forces, paid a visit to the headquarters of the Joint Operations Command in Kirkuk, some 250 km north of the capital, Baghdad, and immediately held a meeting with the commanders, to supervise the offensive, Rasoul added.
The offensive was designed to bring stability and security to the area, which has recently been a hot bed for Daesh militants, Rasoul said.
Recently, Daesh intensified their attacks on security forces, including Hashd Shaabi forces, and civilians in the formerly Daesh-controlled Sunni provinces, resulting in the killing and wounding of dozens.– NNN-NINA
