Army troops launched a massive mopping-up operation against militants from the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group in Muqdadiyah area, 40 kilometers northeast of Baquba, the senior army commander Jamil Shemri told al-Sumaria News.

"Iraqi army troops backed by tribal fighters and air force have targeted ISIL hideouts in the area, in particular in the nearby farms," Shemri added.

The crisis in Iraq escalated after the ISIL terrorists took control of Mosul, in a lightning advance on June 10, which was followed by the fall of Tikrit, located 140 kilometers (87 miles) northwest of the capital Baghdad.

An estimated 1.2 million people have been displaced in Iraq so far this year, according to the United Nations.

RA/SHI