Iraqi forces retake Daesh-held dam near Fallujah

By Suleyman al-Qubaisi

ANBAR, Iraq

Iraqi forces on Tuesday captured the Fallujah dam, which was overrun by the Daesh terrorist group in early 2014, a high-ranking Iraqi police official confirmed.

Federal Police Captain Raed Shakir Jawdat told Anadolu Agency that Iraqi army troops and volunteer fighters had retaken the strategic water facility from Daesh militants following bloody clashes.

Iraqi forces have also seized control of several villages on the outskirts of Fallujah, the largest city in Iraq’s western Anbar province, Jawdat added.

The Iraqi army operation to "liberate" Fallujah first began on May 23.

Located along the Euphrates River about 50 kilometers (31 miles) west of Iraqi capital Baghdad, Fallujah is believed to be home to some 90,000 residents.

Iraq has suffered from a devastating security vacuum since mid-2014, when Daesh suddenly seized Mosul and overran large swathes of territory in the northern and western parts of the country.

*Anadolu Agency correspondent Ilker Girit contributed to this report from Istanbul