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Baiji mop-up operation goes on

Tuesday, 07 July 2015 9:33 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 07 July 2015 9:34 PM ]

Altaf Ahmad

Press TV, Baiji

The Iraqi army and volunteer fighters are engaged in operations to cleanse the strategic city of Baiji. The Iraqi troops entered the city some weeks ago. And they are now fighting pockets of terrorists who are still holed up in some parts of Baiji.

Baiji, 190 km north of Baghdad, is located at the strategic crossroads north of Tikrit on the main Baghdad-Mosul highway.
Several weeks back, ISIL lost Baiji to the Iraqi army and volunteer fighters.

Press TV’s correspondent visited the front-lines in Baiji where Iraqi forces retook the government compound, police headquarters and a mosque in the heart of the city.
The Takfiri terrorists, however, put up a tough fight.

Press TV crew was sad to know that shortly after leaving the scene, ISIL terrorists fired mortars killing a number of people it interviewed.
In his last statements in front of Press TV’s camera, Commander of Habib Bin Muthaher Brigades Fares al-Hujami vowed to fight for his country until the last drop of his blood.

Abdul-Karim Al-Hasnawi, another top commander who died in the attack, was a senior strategist and military expert.
Speaking to Press TV, Hasnawi explained how Iraqi forces made major gains in recent weeks, pushing ISIL terrorists out of the region.

Iraqi forces are currently in control of nearly 80 percent of Baiji.
They have made advances in the regions of Hreiyeja, Jadidah and Be’iji from Baiji’s east as well as the region of Asri from the west.
Battles are still raging on the strategic hill of Tal Abu Jrad south of Iraq’s largest oil refinery in Baiji.

We’re standing on the frontlines less than 200 meters from ISIL posts here in the city of Baiji. As you can see behind me the battles are still ongoing. Now by retaking Baiji the Iraqi forces have scored a significant victory against a hidden and mobile enemy. Now the challenge is defusing all of the IEDs left by ISIL and making sure that Baiji doesn’t slip back into ISIL’s hands ever again.

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Middle East