The Iraqi Army and their popular committees – led by Hashd Al-Sha’abi – dealt a decisive blow to the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) last month when they captured Baiji after a long battle for control of this strategic city that is situated north of Tikrit in the Salehiddeen Governorate.

Following Baiji’s capture, the Iraqi Armed Forces and the popular committees launched an offensive to liberate the Makhoul Mountains (Jabal Makhoul); this assault proved successful as they were able to eliminate the threat posed by the terrorist group and their allies along this front in central Iraq.

Earlier this week, the Iraqi Minister of Defense revealed the Iraqi Army and the popular committees that assisted them during the liberation of Baiji had killed over 920 enemy combatants and captured several other terrorists after completing this three month long military operation.

The successful military operation at Baiji proved to be one of the bloodiest battles in Iraq this year, despite the intense firefights taking place between the Iraqi Army and ISIS in the Jihadist stronghold of the Al-Anbar Governorate.

With both Baiji and Tikrit fully liberated, the Iraqi Army has turned its attention to the Al-‘Anbar Governorate’s provincial capital (Al-Ramadi), where they are currently immersed in a violent battle with ISIS for control of the strategic cities of Karma, Ramadi, and Fallujah.

On Friday morning, the Iraqi Armed Forces imposed full control of Albu Mar’e in the Al-Ramadi countryside after a series of intense firefights with the terrorist group.