(23 Sep 2017) Iraqi armed forces moved closer on Saturday to dislodging the Islamic State group from one of its last bastions in the country, liberating villages on the road west out of al-Shirqat towards IS-held Hawija.
Officers said IEDs car bombs were slowing the advance but reported no causalities.
Seven villages were reported cleared of IS in the third day of the Hawija operation.
Al-Shirqat is about 80 kilometres (50 miles) away from Hawija, where coalition forces expect heavy fighting with entrenched 800-1,500 IS fighters holed up in the city of 200,000.
The military advance has roughly followed the Tigris river south down from al-Shirqat to al-Zab, where forces will soon turn east along the Little Zab river towards Hawija.
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