Forces retake western town from IS

Iraqi government forces have regained control of a remote western town from the jihadist group Islamic State (IS), Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi says. Mr Abadi announced that counter-terrorism troops, backed by tribesmen and US-led coalition air strikes, had raised the Iraqi flag in central Rutba. Coalition spokesman Col Steve Warren said the small town, on […]

Iraqi government forces have regained control of a remote western town from the jihadist group Islamic State (IS), Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi says.
Mr Abadi announced that counter-terrorism troops, backed by tribesmen and US-led coalition air strikes, had raised the Iraqi flag in central Rutba.
Coalition spokesman Col Steve Warren said the small town, on the road to Jordan, had “outsized strategic value”.
Some 200 militants who were based there put up little resistance, he added.
“A lot of the enemy, frankly, ran away when they saw this force coming.”
Col Warren said the fall of Rutba will have an impact on the economies of both Iraq and Jordan, and also deny IS “a critical support zone”.