Special to WorldTribune.com

Iraq claimed a significant breakthrough in its fight against Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) on Dec. 8 as its forces seized part of the key city of Ramadi in Anbar province.

“Today, our forces completely cleared the Al-Tameem area after a fierce battle against Daesh (ISIL) gunmen,” Sabah al-Noman, the spokesman for Iraq’s counter-terrorism service, told AFP.

ISIL forces “had no choice except to surrender or fight and they were completely destroyed,” Noman said.

Maj. Gen. Hadi Irzayij added that “Iraqi forces are ready and close to entering the center” of Ramadi.

Iraqi military officials says its troops were working to clear bombs planted by ISIL in Al-Tameem, which is bordered by a branch of the Euphrates River that divides it from the next ISIL-held area.

ISIL jihadists overran much of Anbar province in June of 2014 but had not seized complete control of Ramadi until May of this year. Anbar province stretches from Iraq’s borders with Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia to the western approach to Baghdad.

  Al-Tameem, Iraqi forces retake part of Ramadi city from ISIL, WorldTribune.com