Iraqi forces kill 52 Daesh militants in Shirqat

BAGHDAD - 28 September 2017: Iraqi forces killed 52 Daesh militants and liberated 66 villages during its offensive to liberate Shirqat town from militants' control, spokesman for the Interior Ministry Saad Maan said Thursday.

The forces managed to clear the eastern coast of Shirqat from remnants of Daesh and sleeper cells, inflicting heavy damage on the militant group, he added at a weekly press conference.

Different types of weapons were seized and destroyed during the offensive, he said.

Last week, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al Abadi and the Joint Operations Command announced the launch of the first phase of operations to liberate Hawija and western Shirqat.

The Iraqi army said in September its forces recaptured the western coast of Shirqat, located south of Mosul, on the west bank of the Tigris river, after being surrounded for months by Iraqi troops and the pro-government Shi’ite militias.