Alalam - Iraq

The ISIS (ISIL, IS, Daesh) started a series of attacks on Hashd al-Shaabi's military positions in Seyed Nareen region in Hamreen mountainous region in Diyala province on Saturday morning, but the Iraqi volunteer forces managed to push them back.

The ISIS initially targeted Hashd al-Shaabi with mortar and rocket attacks before starting their ground attacks by using suicide cars.

At least 18 ISIS terrorists were killed and wounded after several hours of fierce clashes with the Iraqi volunteer forces while tens of others fled the scene of the battle.

The strategic Hamreen mountain stretch from Salahuddin to the neighboring Kirkuk and Diyala provinces.

Some parts of Hamreen mountain, including those parts located near Alas and Dajil oilfields is under the ISIL's occupation.

The desert area of the Western part of Samarra and the Eastern part of al-Sarsar lake, including al-Jazeera region are still under the ISIL's occupation despite Iraq's joint military forces' massive military operations.

The ISIL terrorists are still present in the Western part of Diyala province neighboring Nineveh and al-Anbar provinces.

In a relevant development on Wednesday, the Iraqi fighter jets pounded the gathering centers of the ISIL near the town of al-Haditha Westward of the city of al-Ramadi, killing several terrorists and destroying their military hardware, including an arms depot.

At least 12 terrorists were killed in the Iraqi warplanes' raids on ISIL's military positions in al-Sokreh region in the Westerns part of Haditha town in Western al-Ramadi.

The Iraqi air force also destroyed four vehicles of the ISIL terrorists in al-Sokreh region.

The Iraqi fighter jets also pounded ISIL's vehicles to the West of al-Haditha, destroying three military vehicles.

The Iraqi air forces, meantime, raided ISIL's military vehicles in al-Raihana region in the town of Annah in Western al-Ramadi, destroying all of them and killing all the military personnel in the cars.

The Iraqi forces also discovered an arms and ammunition depot in Albu Hays region North of al-Ramadi with bombs and 100 C4 packages.

The Iraqi army and popular forces also found 85 bombs in Bu Jalib and al-Ankor regions West of al-Ramadi. The army defused all the bombs and explosives at the arms depot.

Also on Monday, Nine ISIL terrorists were killed in an airstrike carried out by Iraqi army fighter jets West of Anbar, a source said.

The source said Iraqi air force jets pounded an ISIL hideout in the village of Raihana in the town of Annah, killing nine militants inside, Al Sumeriya News reported.

Meanwhile, Iraq's Defense Ministry said in a statement the warplanes targeted ISIL ammunition stacks and booby-trapping workshops in Okashat desert area, also in the west, as well as in al-Akra village in Haditha, FNA reported.

ISIL militants still maintain holdouts at Western Anbar regions, most notably at the towns of Annah, Rawa and Qaem, launching from there occasional attacks on civilians and security forces who respond with airstrikes on the group’s locations relying on intelligence tips.

Iraqi security forces, assisted by popular forces, have been struggling since October to drive ISIL militants out of towns they had captured in 2014.

SA