The Friday aerial attack was conducted against a Daesh (ISIS / ISIL) hideout in Saqlawiyah city, about five kilometers (three miles) northwest of Fallujah, in the western Anbar province, Arabic-language al-Sumaria news website reported.

Lieutenant General Abdul Amir al-Shammari, a commander for the Baghdad Operations Command, said in a statement that the airstrike killed Abu Bashir al-Sudani, adding that the Iraqi forces were only some 600 meters (1970 feet) away from the center of the city.

The Iraqi troops are currently pushing forward to retake Saqlawiyah, which fell into the hands of ISIS in September 2014 after it laid a siege to the city.

Meanwhile, Iraqi forces have captured more areas in the ISIS-held city of Fallujah as part of a major offensive that was launched last month to drive the terrorists out of their stronghold in Anbar province.

Reports say that Iraqi security forces, backed by the army’s aerial cover, managed to advance further into the city by seizing control of al-Shuhada neighborhood after retaking the southern district of Naimiya following fierce clashes with terrorists.

Gruesome violence has plagued the northern and western parts of Iraq ever since ISIS launched an offensive in the country in June 2014, and took control of portions of the Iraqi territory.

The militants have been committing heinous crimes against all ethnic and religious communities in Iraq, including Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, Christians and others.

The Iraqi army and volunteer forces are involved in operations to win back militant-held areas.

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