Politics

Iraqi troops launch offensive to retake center of Hawija from IS

Iraqi forces on Wednesday began the third phase of the military operation to liberate the city of Hawija from the Islamic State (IS) in the southwest of Kirkuk province.

Sangar Ali 2017/10/04 05:45

middle east Iraq Hawija Kurdistan Kirkuk Iraqi forces Peshmerga IDPs

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi forces on Wednesday began the third phase of the military operation to liberate the city of Hawija from the Islamic State (IS) in the southwest of Kirkuk province.

The Iraqi federal police, Rapid Response team, and the Shia Hashd al-Shaabi militia also known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) will be participating in the offensive, the Commander of the Hawija operation Abdulameer Rasheed Yarallah stated.

The target of the third phase is to retake the center of Hawija and neighboring town of Riyadh, according to the Commander.

Hawija is 55 kilometers west of the city of Kirkuk. The Sunni-majority town has been under the control of the jihadist group since June 2014.

Iraqi forces on Sep. 21 launched the military campaign to free Hawija, the last IS stronghold in the north of Iraq.

Troops continue to advance toward the center of the city as more than 70,000 civilians remain trapped, according to a UN report.

The acceptance of families fleeing Hawija highlights the ongoing cooperation between Peshmerga and Iraqi forces amid increasing tensions between Erbil and Baghdad following the landmark Sep. 25 independence referendum.

Kirkuk is home to over half a million internally displaced persons (IDPs), many of which fled from neighboring Hawija.

Editing by G.H. Renaud