Iraqi government forces alongside Shiite militias on Friday pushed back a Daesh attack on a town in Anbar province, leaving ten soldiers dead, AP reported.
The Daesh militants used car bombs and mortars to attack the government-controlled town of Khalidiyah, Anbar province councilman Athal al-Fahdawi told AP. After hours of fighting, the militants retreated, leaving behind 12 dead.
Anbar province, located west of Baghdad, has been the scene of frequent clashes. In May, Daesh fighters overran Anbar’s capital city Ramadi, seizing armored vehicles and ammunition.
Iraqi forces and volunteer Shiite militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces have struggled in recent months to recapture territories lost to Daesh, and are reportedly preparing for a major counterrofensive in Ramadi.
Though the overwhelmingly Shiite Popular Mobilization Forces have been instrumental to Iraq's campaign against Daesh, recent efforts have focused on including Anbar province's Sunnis in the fight. US officials estimate 6,000 Sunni recruits are taking part in a training program at Taqqadum base outside Ramadi, according to Reuters.
