Iraqi Forces Kill Nearly 40 ISIS Fighters: Reports

Islamic State group forces in Iraq suffered a setback as 39 fighters were killed by Iraqi government forces and Popular Mobilization units. The mop-up operations took place in Iraq’s northern province of Salahuddin on Monday.

The League of the Righteous (Asaib Ahl al-Haq) fighters responded to an offensive by the Islamic State group -- also known as ISIS or ISIL -- in the Tel Abu Jarad area and killed 19 ISIS fighters there. The militants lost two SUVs and a large amount of medium-caliber ammunition to the pro-government forces after the clashes.

Iran's Press TV referred to senior local official Malullah al-Obeidi, who said 16 ISIS terrorists had been killed near the Ayn al-Asad air base. He said the Albu Mahal tribe had conducted a “tactical operation” in the village of al-Modaham.

According to the Iraqi interior ministry, airstrikes killed 26 ISIS terrorists in the city of al-Qaem in Western Anbar province. The ministry also said a number of senior ISIS commanders had been killed. The leaders killed in Western Iraq included Seif ul-Islam al-Khorassani, Abu Khadija al-Souri, Abu Mujahid al-Azerbijani, Abu Ezzam al-Fullouji, Abdel Raouf al-Somali and Abu Zeinab al-Tunesi.

Armed tribesmen backed Iraqi forces to cut an ISIS supply route that connected the city of Kabisa to the Iraqi town of al-Qa’im. A number of ISIS vehicles were burned and 10 ISIS fighters were killed.

On Saturday, more than two-dozen ISIL terrorists were killed in separate military operations by Iraqi forces and tribesmen across Anbar province. A statement from the Baghdad Operations Command Center said that several ISIS militants had been killed in Salahuddin and Anbar provinces. "Over 32 ISIL terrorists were killed in Iraqi warplanes' strikes in Anbar and Salahuddin," Al Manar quoted the statement.

Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir al-Zaidi, commander of the Tigris Operations, said Monday that Iraqi forces had managed to thwart ISIS attacks on Ajeel and Alas oil fields. Government forces also managed to kill 20 ISIS extremists during a heavy exchange of fire.

Three armored vehicles with explosives as well as a couple of cars with various kinds of munitions were destroyed by Iraqi forces. The Iraqi army killed many terrorists and wounded many others in Western Ramadi on Sunday.