Iraqi military captures Hawija from Islamic State
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Iraqi forces have captured the town of Hawija and the surrounding area from Islamic State, the military said in a statement on Thursday.
With the capture of Hawija, the militants' last stronghold in northern Iraq, the only area that remains under control of Islamic State in Iraq is a stretch alongside the western border with Syria. Hawija is close to the oil-city of Kirkuk.
The offensive on Hawija was carried out by US-backed Iraqi government troops and Iranian-trained and armed Shi'ite paramilitary groups known as Popular Mobilization.
