Iraqi army kills 4 suicide bombers before crossing into Iraq from Syria

BAGHDAD – On Thursday, the Commander of the army’s 7th division, Maj. Gen. Nawman al-Zawbai, announced to Alsumaria News that a force from the division killed four suicide bombers wearing explosive belts before trying to cross into Iraq from Syria. His report did not specify the region where the episode happened. Past news reports declared that IS leaders fled Anbar to Syria, where the group is also reportedly nearing a total collapse to U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces and Russia-backed Syrian government army. Supported by a U.S.-led coalition, the Iraqi army took over Islamic State’s major bastions in Iraq since October. The military command declared the recent liberation of the town of Quaim, on Anbar’s borders with Syria. Only Rawa, a Western Anbar’s town, is still in the militants’ grip. Human rights groups suppose that IS members are using thousands of civilians there as human shields. Iraq is succeeding in eliminating the “caliphate”, the Islamic State’s declared in 2014 from Iraq’s Mosul.