International News

BAGHDAD, (APP/AFP): Fighters of the Islamic State group
attacked an Iraqi border guard base near Jordan on Tuesday, killing
at least nine people before being beaten back, officers said.
The early morning attack involved heavy mortar fire and saw clashes
between militants and border guards defending their position near
Rutba, the last town on the desert road before the Trebil
border crossing.
“Elements from the Daesh (IS) gangs attacked the 2nd regiment of
the border guard, which is located on the highway between Rutba and
Trebil,” a colonel in the border guard said.
“We clashed for several hours.”
The Joint Operations Command which coordinates Iraq’s fight
against IS said nine people were killed — eight members of the
border guard and a civilian.
The colonel said 17 border guards were also wounded in the attack,
which occurred in the westernmost part of Anbar province, some 450 kilometres (280 miles) from Baghdad.
“Several Daesh fighters were also killed and they were forced to
withdraw. The base has remained under border guard control,” the officer said.
“The 2nd regiment is under our control, they did not manage to take
it, our troops fought back,” said Major General Ammar al-Kubaysi, the
border guard commander.
Rutba, a small town with significant strategic value given its
location on the road to Jordan, was recaptured from IS in May this year.
IS lost most of its bastions in Anbar in recent months, including the
provincial capital Ramadi, its emblematic stronghold of Fallujah, and other
towns.