Iraqi commanders claim they have completed recaptured Dhuluiya, 90 km (52 miles) northeast of Baghdad, from the Islamic State.
Dhuluiya has switched hands several times since the Islamic State entered in a rapid offensive in June. Iraqi forces reclaimed part of the town in October, but jihadists soon pushed them back.
Dhuluiya is on highways linking Diyala Province in the east to Salaheddin Province in the north.
This weekend, pro-Government forces attacked the town from the north with 50 vehicles, linking up with allied groups in the Jubur area in the south. An army general said Tuesday, “Forces from the army and the police and [militiamen] and tribal fighters succeeded today in regaining control of Dhuluiya….[This] means the complete liberation of Dhuluiya and the end of the [Islamic State] presence.”
A leader in the Shia Badr militia confirmed the “complete liberation of Dhuluiya”.
