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WORLD NEWSFriday 8 April 2016

Siege tactics complicate fight for key IS-held Iraqi town

Elite counter terrorism forces transport women and children fleeing their homes during clashes sualties. Iraq’s second-largest city
between Iraqi security forces and Islamic State group in Hit, 85 miles west of Baghdad, Iraq. Six counterterrorism bat- that also is held by the ex-
talions pushed up from the tremist group.
(AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed) west last weekend to cut off As Iraqi forces closed in
Hit’s northern edge, zigzag- on Hit, al-Asadi said he
S. GEORGE Gen. Abdel Ghani al-Asa- group in 2014. ging in the soft desert ter- ordered the town’s main
Associated Press di, the commander of the While the decision may rain and taking more than bridge over the Euphrates
HIT, Iraq (AP) — As they elite troops, chose a dif- have been more time-con- 12 hours to advance only a River destroyed by a co-
advanced on the Islamic ferent approach: Surround suming, allowing the mili- few kilometers (miles). alition airstrike to slow the
State-held town of Hit, Iraqi the strategic western town tants in Hit to dig in, lay de- “We don’t want them to be flight of IS fighters. In the
counterterrorism troops with a slow and methodi- fenses and launch attacks able to flee,” al-Asadi said, days that followed, doz-
had to decide how to press cal cordon, trapping the that initially also trapped referring to the IS fighters. ens of boats IS used were
the attack. If they stormed extremists inside. tens of thousands of civil- “We want them to stay in- also destroyed by coalition
in with armor and airstrikes, It’s a tactic that’s been ians, Iraqi forces believe side so we can finish them.” bombs, the Pentagon said.
they risked heavy casual- used elsewhere to claw the approach is a key to If the militants escaped, In the initial stage of the
ties and might allow the back Iraqi territory that was making their territorial gains he said, they would prob- operation last month, some
militants to flee. seized by the Islamic State stick and reduce their ca- ably return and infiltrate IS militants sought to knit
the town once his men had themselves further into the
moved on to the next bat- civilian fabric of the town.
tle. Hit, in Anbar province Fighters vanished from Hit’s
west of the capital of Bagh- main streets, occupying
dad, sits along an IS supply abandoned houses or forc-
line that links Iraqi territory ing their way into homes
controlled by the extremist where civilians were still liv-
group with its base in Syria. ing, according to residents
Officials in the Iraqi military who evacuated.
and the U.S.-led coalition “They began moving more
fighting IS believe that by and more into the narrow
clearing the town, they can side streets and the civil-
build on recent territorial ian areas,” one resident
gains in the vast province. told The Associated Press,
That would move them speaking on condition of
closer to two major goals: anonymity in order to pro-
isolating the IS-held city of tect the safety of relatives
Fallujah, 40 miles (65 kilo- still trapped in Hit.
meters) west of Baghdad, Al-Asadi said his men were
and linking up government increasingly finding fight-
forces in the west and the ers from the Islamic State
north in preparation for an group posing as civilian
eventual push on Mosul, refugees.

IS abducts dozens of workers near Damascus, fighting worsens

ZEINA KARAM rebel fighters wrested con- crete or real beginning of a miles (45 kilometers) north- thorities had told the com-
SARAH EL DEEB trol of a northern border political transition.” east of Damascus, where pany to refrain from com-
Associated Press town, potentially undermin- Speaking to reporters in militants launched a sur- menting on the abduction.
BEIRUT (AP) — In a brazen ing IS supply lines across the Geneva, Staffan de Mistu- prise attack against gov- “The situation is not easy
assault near the Syrian cap- border with Turkey and en- ra said he was encouraged ernment forces earlier this at all,” she told The Asso-
ital, Islamic State militants dangering one of its most by the fact that a partial week. The state-run news ciated Press. There was no
abducted 300 cement important strongholds in cease-fire has largely held agency SANA quoted a formal responsibility claim
workers and contractors Aleppo province. since going into effect Feb. source in the company as for the kidnapping, but the
from their workplace north- The U.N. special envoy for 27, despite a series of wor- saying there had been no IS-linked Aamaq agency
east of Damascus on Thurs- Syria, meanwhile, said the risome incidents that con- success in efforts to estab- posted a video showing
day, as fighting against the next round of peace talks tinue to happen on a daily lish contact with the work- the deserted cement fac-
extremist group raged in in Geneva was expected basis. State TV said Thurs- ers. At the factory head- tory, located near a military
the country’s north ahead to start next week, around day’s mass abduction of quarters in Damascus, a air base. The video showed
of a new round of peace April 13, and would focus workers from the al-Badia spokeswoman declined what appeared to be a
talks. In a blow to the Is- on a political process he Cement Company took to discuss the kidnapped Syrian soldier lying on the
lamic militants, however, hopes will lead to a “con- place in Dumeir, about 28 workers’ fate, saying au- ground, apparently dead.