The Iraqi military, with the help of volunteer forces, has managed to fully liberate the town of Dhuluiya in Salahuddin Province from the Islamic State (IS) terrorists, media reported Tuesday.
"The Iraqi forces succeeded in taking full control of the Tigris river town, 70 km north of the capital Baghdad from the IS terrorists," Press TV quoted Karim al-Nuri, a top commander of Badr volunteer fighters, as saying.
Assaults to retake the town, which were launched Sunday and continued into Monday, broke the IS terrorists' siege of Dhuluiya.
Nuri further added that the mass escape of the IS terrorists also ended the isolation of the Sunni al-Jubouri tribesmen.
Following the liberation of Dhuluiya, Iraqi security forces searched homes for IS terrorists possibly hiding there, he added.
On Monday, Iraqi forces retook the village of Hayy al-Amin in Salahuddin Province from the IS. Iraqi fighter jets also conducted several sorties and pounded IS positions in the village.
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Iraqi forces, supported by tribal militiamen, advanced into Dhuluiya Sunday and pushed back the IS terrorists from parts of the town. The troops entered Dhuluiya from the north and captured the military airport, raising the Iraqi flag over the main terminal.
Dhuluiya had initially been liberated in October by Iraqi armed forces. However, it was retaken by the IS weeks later despite fierce resistance from local tribes.
The IS terrorists that control large swathes of land in Iraq and Syria, have been carrying out horrific acts of violence, including public decapitations and crucifixions, against all Iraqi communities such as Shias, Sunnis, Kurds and Christians.