Western Iraq campaign (2017–present)

The Western Iraq campaign (2017–present) is a military operation by the Iraqi Army against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, in the western province of Anbar, and on the border with Syria, with the goal of completely expelling ISIL forces from Iraq.

The offensive followed another offensive by the Iraqi Government, the Hawija Offensive (2017), and is also concurrent with two major offensives in Syria: the Syrian Democratic Forces' Deir ez-Zor offensive (September 2017–present), and the Syrian Government's Battle of Deir ez-Zor (September–November 2017).

Background
Al-Qa'im was known as a hotbed of jihadist insurgency, after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, with coalition forces carrying out repeated operations against Al-Qaeda jihadists. The strategic and porous border started becoming a route for foreign fighters entering Iraq from Syria, who was accused by Iraqi government of ignoring it.

The towns of western Anbar were captured by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in 2014. Before the 2017 offensive, Iraqi forces had dislodged the group from key cities of Anbar including Ramadi and Fallujah but the areas near border with Syria including Anah, Rawa, Al-Qaim and the vast rural areas across the province remained under militant control. An Iraqi operation was launched towards west Anbar in January 2017, but was suspended after recapture of towns of Sagra and Zawiya because of preparations for retaking the western bank of Mosul.

In September 2017, the Iraqi Army launched an offensive in the western Anbar Province, recapturing the towns of Akashat on 16 September and Anah on 21 September. After recapturing Hawija on October 5, Iraqi Army was expected to fight ISIL in Anbar. Instead, it paused its military actions and later started advancing on Kirkuk.

The campaign
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced an offensive to recapture the western border region of al-Qaim and Rawa on October 26. He stated, "The heroic legions are advancing into the last den of terrorism in Iraq to liberate al-Qaim, Rawa and the surrounding villages and hamlets." Iraqi forces including the troops, police, Sunni tribesmen and mostly Shia militias, participated in the assault. Later, Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Yarallah announced that they had cleared Umm al-Waz village, 55 km south-east of al-Qa'im, and the H-2 Air Base along with the nearby Husseiniyat area, 120 km south of al-Qaim. According to the United Nations, around 50,000 people were still in al-Qaim and Rawa. Meanwhile, Walid al-Dulaimi, an Iraqi army colonel, told Anadolu Agency that they had captured Rawa intersection and the Jabbab district, which is about 2 km west of Rawa.

Iraqi Army's War Media Cell announced on 27 October that the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) had secured 43 km of the Akashat-al-Qaim road and an area of ​​301 square kilometres south of al-Qa’im. It also added that PMU captured al-Qakm cement plant, al-Qaom Quarries, al-Qaim station and the water station. Iraqi Army meanwhile captured villages of Awani, northern Jabab and al-Zalla on southern bank of Euphrates. Army Major-General Qasim al-Muhammadi told Anadolu Agency on the same day that 25 militants were killed in a clash between Iraqi Army and ISIL near T1 area, 40 km of al-Qa'im. He added that a large number of militants also retreated to center of al-Qaim district. Ahmed al-Dulaimi, an Anbar police captain, stated that five militants and two tribal fighters were killed in the same area a day earlier.

The Joint Operations Command (JOC) stated on 28 October that pro-Iraqi forces had taken control of large areas to east of al-Qaim, after routing the militants from their hideouts. It also stated that the Iraqi troops had also captured many villages, a bridge on the Euphrates, the al-Qaim railway station, a military airbase, and the Akkas gas field. The JOC added that so far, 75 militants had been killed, while nine SVBIEDs, 10 militant vehicles, and four bomb-making sites had been destroyed, while 378 roadside bombs were defused or detonated. The JOC also reported that 33 villages had been recaptured from ISIL, within 2 days of the offensive. The Defence Ministry stated on 29 October that Iraqi planes had dropped thousands of leaflets in ISIL-held areas of Anbar, urging militants to surrender. An Iraqi security source stated on the same day that ISIL fighters had fled towards Al-Bukamal in Syria, after many leaders fled and were killed in airstrikes. Meanwhile, Qatari al-Samarmad, a PMU commander, stated that Ra’ed al-Atouri, the ISIL military official of al-Qa'im, and six of his companions had been killed by Iraqi warplanes.

By 31 October, Iraqi forces had reached the edge of al-Qaim. The JOC announced that Iraqi forces, backed by United States' airstrikes and Sunni tribal fighters, had captured the village of al-Obeidi, adding that even though ISIL resisted the advance of the troops, the majority retreated to center of al-Qaim. Yarallah stated that they had also captured a cement plant and a phosphate processing facility. He added that they also took control of a nearby residential complex, nine villages around Obeidi as well as large areas of Akkas gas field. Army Brigadier-General Numaan Abdul-Zobai said that they also captured villages of Rafedah and Al-Kasim to west of al-Qaim. Minister of Oil Jabar al-Luaibi stated on 2 November that Iraq forces had captured the Akkas gas field. Major-General Numaan Abd al-Zawbaei, commander of the army's 7th Division, said on the same day that regular troops backed by the PMU had captured Al-Saada area, and the nearby villages of Jereejib and Qunaitera, west of Al-Qaim, killing several militants and destroying a number of booby-trapped vehicles.

On 3 November, the Iraqi Army captured the Abu Kamal-Al-Qa'im border crossing.. The JOC announced they had entered al-Qa'im as well. The PMU captured the town's train station, as well as the al-Karabilah neighborhood during the day, while also entering the Gaza neighborhood. Later on the same day, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced that Iraqi Government forces had captured al-Qa'im. Iraqi Government forces also recaptured the rest of the Al-Qa'im District. This stripped ISIL of all its border crossings along the Iraqi–Syrian border, and left only Rawa under ISIL rule. Following the loss of the border city of Al-Qa'im and Deir ez-Zor, Al-Bukamal in Syria was the last town of note under their full control, where they are expected to make their final stand. ISIL forces also began massing at Al-Bukamal, boosted by the retreating ISIL fighters from Iraq.