Iraqi army liberated Wednesday Albu Bakr and Albu Awad areas in Diyala and Saladin provinces, northern Iraq from Islamic State (IS) militants. The Iraqi defense ministry issued a statement, confirming that the armed forces backed by air support and Sunni tribal forces liberated the two towns from IS militants. The ministry considered this achievement a starting point for liberating more of the neighboring areas currently under IS control. Fierce gun battles between IS militants and Iraqi troops took place in Al-Baghdadi district in Al Anbar province, western Iraq, as the Iraqi troops almost took over the district. The army provided the locals with medical and humanitarian aid, and rushed the sick children to hospitals in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad for treatment. Iraqi Air Force conducted Tuesday night air strikes targeting IS' weaponry storages in Al-Anbar, leaving dozens killed and wounded.
