Second Stage of Military Operation against Daesh Launched in Western Iraq

"The Solid Will Operation was launched this morning under the supervision of the Joint Operations Command, with the participation of the commands of the Al-Anbar, Al-Jazeera, and Karbala operations, as well as forces from the Border Guard Command and the Popular Mobilization," the Iraqi Security Media Cell said.

"This operation has the support of the army and the air force," it added.

The report said that other units of Iraqi Special Forces and the Counter-Terrorism Service as well as the Rapid Response Division will take measures to "pursue Daesh terrorist elements” and destroy their dens in Diyala, Samarra, Saladin, and southern Kirkuk.

The first phase of the operation was carried out last March for three days with the country’s forces clearing large parts of Anbar, Nineveh and Salah al-Din provinces from the terrorists.

Iraq announced definitive victory over Daesh in 2017 when it drove the militant group's last remnants out of the country after the militant group had taken over almost a third of Iraq's land.