25 October 2016•Update: 25 October 2016
By Ibrahim Salih
BAGHDAD
The Iraqi army said Tuesday it has fully seized control of the Rutba city in western Iraq from Daesh militants.
On Monday, scores of Daesh militants mounted a daring attack on Rutba, 310 kilometers west of Ramadi.
In a televised statement, the army said the city is now under the full control of Iraqi forces.
The new development comes as the Iraqi army continued a major offensive – which now in the second week -- to recapture the northern city of Mosul from the Daesh group.
The Iraqi prime minister has earlier warned that Daesh may launch attacks on government-ruled areas in response to the Mosul offensive.
The terrorist group captured Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, in mid-2014 before overrunning large swathes of territory in the country’s northern and western regions.
The Iraqi army, backed by local allies on the ground and a U.S.-led air coalition, has since retaken much of the territory. Nevertheless, the terrorist group remains in control of several parts of the country, including Mosul.
