DIYALA, Iraq
The Iraqi army has gained more ground in the eastern Iraqi province of Diyala from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant on Sunday, a member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan politburo has said.
Mala Bakhtiyar confirmed that Iraqi army forces launched attacks against ISIL and successfully regained control of Diyala's town of Jalawla.
Peshmerga forces, U.S-led coalition aircraft and the Iraqi army all took part in the operation in which 14 Peshmerga fighters lost their lives.
The exact number of ISIL casualties is unknown.
Bakhtiyar added that minesweeping operations have been launched in the region.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has also ordered Iraqi air forces to launch more attacks on ISIL in the western Anbar province to help protect civilians.
The Iraqi military claims to have recaptured many towns and provinces since early November, including Mosul, Anbar, Saladin and Diyala provinces.
Local sources said that the military also carried out joint operations with Peshmerga forces in Kirkuk city.
Since mid-June, the Iraqi army and Kurdish Peshmerga forces have been fighting against ISIL militants, who have taken control of large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria.
The U.S. is leading an international coalition, which includes France, Germany, and Saudi Arabia, and has carried out numerous airstrikes against ISIL in the region.
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