BAGHDAD (AP) - A senior leader with an Iraqi government-sanctioned paramilitary force says his troops have captured a key town west of the city of Mosul from the Islamic State group.
Deputy Head of Popular Mobilization Forces, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, says in a statement that the troops entered the center of strategic Baaj town Sunday morning.
Al-Muhandis said the progress is a “big and qualitative achievement” in the U.S.-backed operation to retake Mosul, which was launched in October. The town, near the Syrian border, is considered one of the important supply lines for IS through Syria.
The Iran-backed PMF - an umbrella group of mostly Shiite militias also known as Hashed al-Shaabi in Arabic - has largely operated since October in the desert west of Mosul, trying to cut IS supply lines.
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