BAGHDAD, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi paramilitary Hashd Shaabi units on Monday killed at least 20 Islamic States (IS) militants in a conflict in the desert area near the Syrian border in western Iraq, the units said in a statement.
The Hashd Shaabi units, backed by helicopter gunships, fought heavy clashes with IS militants, when dozens of the extremists attacked the military base at the border post of Tal Sufoug near neighboring Syria, the statement said.
Iraqi forces have killed at least 20 IS militants and destroyed eight IS vehicles, the statement added.
The paramilitary units are deployed in the desert near the Syrian border to prevent the cross-border IS movement between Iraq and Syria.
On May 29, the units made their first arrival at the border after they freed the town of al-Qahtaniyah, some 18 km east of the Syrian border.
On July 10, Abadi officially declared Mosul's liberation from IS after nearly nine months of fierce fighting to dislodge the extremist militants from their last major stronghold in Iraq.
Two days ago, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared a new plan to be implemented soon to liberate the IS-held town of Tal Afar from the extremist militants, which will include the participation of the predominantly Shiite paramilitary Hashd Shaabi units and Sunni tribal fighters.
The Iraqi forces still have to wage more offensives to drive out IS militants from their redoubts in Hawijah in southwestern Kirkuk, the adjacent sprawling rugged areas in eastern Salahudin province, in addition to the remaining IS strongholds in the border towns with Syria, including Aana, Rawa, and al-Qaim.
