BAGHDAD, Nov 9 (NNN-NINA) – Iraqi security forces, yesterday launched a major offensive, to hunt down Daesh militants in a mountainous area, in the northern part of Iraq’s Salahudin province.
Iraqi forces, backed by U.S.-led coalition and Iraqi aircraft, began an offensive in the morning, to track down the militants in the mountain ranges of Makhoul and Khanogah, the media office of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC), said in a statement.
The first day of the operation resulted in the seizure of 14 roadside bombs, rocket launchers, and 10 mortar rounds, as well as, finding two tunnels used by the militants in the mountains, the JOC statement said.
The Iraqi and international aircraft conducted a series of airstrikes on the Daesh positions in Makhoul and the nearby Khanogah mountain ranges, in the northern part of Salahudin province, Yahia Rasoul, spokesman of the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi forces said.
For his part, the JOC spokesman, Tahsin al-Khafaji, said that, the Iraqi forces “pursued a new tactic through setting up towers and thermal cameras for surveillance, to prevent the extremist militants from returning to the areas.”
The mountains and vast rural areas in Salahudin province witnessed intense activities for the extremist militants during the past months, despite repeated military operations to hunt them down.
