Iraqi army closes in on Islamic State militants holed up west of Falluja

On Monday, Iraq's army sought to eliminate Islamic State militants holed up in farmland west of Falluja to keep them from launching a counterattack on the city a day after Baghdad declared victory over IS there.

According to an army officer participating in the operation said, Iraqi artillery backed by air strikes from a US-led coalition bombarded targets as troops closed in on up to 150 insurgents in areas along the southern bank of the Euphrates river.