Iraqi Forces Seize Full Control over Anbar’s Barwana

The Iraqi Ministry of Defense said that its forces pushed back terrorists of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and recaptured the city of Barwana in Anbar Province, in Western Iraq.

The ministry published images of the Iraqi forces’ presence near the Haditha Dam, the second largest dam in Iraq, a military source told the Iraqi News.

The source added that Iraqi security forces backed by helicopters regained control of the city after the battles with the ISIL, adding that the fighting resulted in the killing and wounding of many anti-government fighters.

The crisis in Iraq escalated after the ISIL militants 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.

Soldiers of the Iraqi army and Pishmarga have been engaged in heavy fighting with the militants on different fronts and have so far been able to push them back in several areas.