Iraqi forces fully liberate IS-held Khalidiya Island: Iraqi PM

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Iraqi security forces freed the Island of al-Khalidiya in Anbar Province from Islamic State (IS) extremists, the Iraqi Prime Minister announced on Saturday.

In a televised statement, the Prime Minister of Iraq Haider al-Abadi revealed that Iraqi troops had killed a large number of jihadists while liberating Khalidiya Island, located 80 kilometers west of Baghdad.

Abadi reserved praise and highlighted the role of the security forces involved in clearing the island of IS insurgents.

“We congratulate the people of Iraq on the victories that have been made. Thanks to the efforts of our heroes,” the PM stated.

He announced that Khalidiya Island had been fully liberated from IS and that security forces continue to clear more areas from the group.

The Prime Minister also pointed out that the latest defeat of the insurgent group had been in the town of Qayyarah, south of Mosul.

The military operation in Khalidiya Island began after the liberation of Fallujah located in the west of Baghdad.

In June 2014, IS started to occupy large swaths of territory in the north of Iraq starting from Nineveh to Salahaddin, Kirkuk, Diyala and Anbar provinces.

Iraqi security forces, Peshmerga, and the US-led coalition are now planning to launch the Mosul offensive in the north of the country to clear the city from IS.

Moreover, the US Special Presidential Envoy Brett McGurk previously stated that the group had lost 50 percent territory in Iraq and 20 percent in Syria.

He added that IS insurgents had lost the morale of fighting, and the group continues to shrink in both countries.

Editing Karzan Sulaivany