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On October 27, the Iraqi Army War Media Cell announced that the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) secured 43 km of the Akashat-al-Qa’im road and an area of 301km2 south of al-Qa’im city. The source added that the PMU captured al-Qa’im cement plant, al-Qa’im Quarries, al-Qa’im station and the water station 70 southwest of the city.
During its advance, the PMU destroyed 3 VBIEDs, and removed over 100 IEDs of ISIS.
Meanwhile, the Iraqi Army captured Awani, Northern Jabbab and al-Zalla villages on the southern bank of the Euphrates river 40km west of al-Qai’m city. The Iraqi Army destroyed 4 vehicles, 2 VBIEDS and killed 25 fighters of ISIS during its advance.
Ali Hamdani, the commander of the PMU 11th brigade, told the PMU media wing on October 27 that the Iraqi Army and the PMU are planning to encircle and then to liberate al-Qa’im city during the second phase of the ongoing military operation in western Anbar.
Due to the rapid advance of the Iraqi Army and the PMU, ISIS will likely redeploy its fighters from al-Qa’im city to al-Bukamal city inside Syria. However, with the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and Hezbollah advance towards al-Bukamal, the end of ISIS looks closers than ever.
