(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) BAGHDAD, Nov 17 (KUNA) -- The Iraqi forces backed by pro-government tribal fighters and US-led coalition have overrun the city of Rawa in Iraq's western Anbar province, an Iraqi military source said on Friday.
The Joint Operations Command said operations launched earlier on Friday for the "liberation of Rawa" a city on Anbar's western borders with Syria.
Few hundreds of militants there are thought to be holding a few thousands of civilians as human shields.
The WMC added that the psychological war division used a radio frequency to urge militants to surrender and civilians to raise white flags above their houses to identify them.
Rawa, located roughly 230 kilometers west of provincial capital Ramadi, had been considered one of the so-called Islamic State (IS) terrorist group's last remaining holdouts in Iraq.
Coalition warplanes and Iraqi military helicopters are providing air support for Iraqi army units operating in and around Rawa, which was captured by IS in mid-2014.
The nearby city of Al-Qaem was also recaptured by the Iraqi army late last month following a weeks-long campaign. (end) ahh.mb
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