The west Anbar campaign was on pause once again. The routine
has been for the Iraqi forces to take a town, and then spend time to clear it
and the surrounding roads and highways of explosives. That is going on now. The
Islamic State also executed
its governor for Ana and 27 of his followers accusing them of fleeing the
battle. Next up for the joint forces are Rawa and Qaim in northwest Anbar, and
then to sweep down the border region.
After most of the left coast of the Shirqat district was
freed the Iraqi forces moved onto the perimeter of Hawija. Federal Police
commander General Raed Shakir Jawadat said
that 90% of Shirqat was under government control, and 234 IS fighters had been killed.
His forces then moved
on 9 villages in the southern section of the district, the Hashd advanced on Zarga
and the Hamrin Mountains along the Salahaddin-Kirkuk border. The Rapid Reaction
Forces and Hashd attacked
Zab freeing
several towns. By September
24, the Joint Operations Command announced the Zab River region, the area
around Zawiya,
the northern part of the Makhoul Mountains and several villages west of the
Tigris were all in the government’s hands. The plan has been to take Shirqat,
and then move onto Hawija proper. The former is almost done, and now the joint
forces are taking the outskirts of Hawija before taking on the town itself.
Despite all the heated rhetoric about the up coming Kurdish
referendum, the Peshmerga and army reached an agreement
about Hawija. Meetings were held under the auspices of the U.S. led Coalition.
The two sides agreed that the joint forces would conduct operation in south
Kirkuk and the Kurds would send troops if needed. Peshmerga artillery would
also assist with the operation, and the Kurds would take in displaced and hold
their current positions to the north. Originally, it was hoped that the two
would assault Hawija from north and south in a pincer movement, but that
quickly faded as controversy over the referendum spread. At least a deal was
made so that the two wouldn’t conflict with each other.
SOURCES
Baghdad Post, “234
ISIS terrorists killed in operation to recapture Shirqat,” 9/24/17
Bas News, “Peshmerga, Iraqi Army Reach Agreement on Hawija Battle,”
9/24/17
Al Forat News,
“Liberate the entire Zawiya area and raise the Iraqi flag over its buildings,”
9/24/17
Al Ghad Press, “The
federal police liberated 9 villages south of Shirqat city,” 9/23/17
- “Jawadat announces
Federal Police control 90% of Shirqat area,” 9/23/17
- “Rapid Reaction
Forces move towards Zab to end third stage of liberation of Hawija,” 9/23/17
- “The security
forces in Anbar confirm the liberation of the areas of the Upper Euphrates in
the direction of Al-Qaim,” 9/23/17
Iraq Newspaper,
“Iraqi Newspaper Reporter: The Liberation Of New Villages Saturday Afternoon,”
9/23/17
Al Maalomah, “The
crowd frees two villages west of Hawija,” 9/23/17
Al Mirbad, “The
crowd completes the clearing of three villages west Kirkuk,” 9/23/17
Mostafa, Mohamed,
“Iraqi forces end phase 1 of Hawija offensive: command,” Iraqi News, 9/24/17
Rudaw, “Peshmerga
work with Hashd for southern advance into Hawija,” 9/23/17
Al Sumaria, “The security forces begin the process of
liberation Zarga in Al-Tuz from three axes,” 9/23/17
Waradana, “Daash
executed the governor of Ana and his followers after fleeing Anbar,” 9/23/17
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