BAGHDAD, March 31 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi military on Friday said that airstrikes during the day killed more than 150 Islamic State (IS) militants in the region near the Syrian border.
Iraqi Joint Operations Command said in a statement that three hiding places around Baaj Town were bombed in this operation, and 150 to 200 terrorists, who entered Iraq from Syria, were killed.
Baaj, located about 135 km southwest of Mosul, is still under IS control and is regarded as an important corridor for the militants to cross the border.
In 2014, the IS group occupied large swaths of territories in northern and western Iraq, including Mosul, the second largest city, and established a self-styled Islamic caliphate in the regions of Iraq and Syria under its control.
Iraqi forces launched the battle on Oct. 17, 2016 for Mosul, the last stronghold for IS militants in Iraq, and recaptured its eastern part late January. The offensive to liberate western Mosul started on Feb. 19.
