US, Iraqi forces launch new offensive in western Iraq

US and Iraqi forces launched a new offensive against insurgents and foreign fighters in the volatile Anbar province in western Iraq, the US military said on Friday.

About 1,000 US marines and Iraqi forces launched the operation, dubbed Quick Strike, on Aug. 3 in the Euphrates River valley, the military said in a statement.

It said the offensive focused on the areas around the cities of Haditha, Haqlaniyah, and Parwana, some 250 km northwest of Baghdad.

US and Iraqi troops, including Special Operations forces, swept the city of Haqlaniyah, as the US aircraft conducted an air strike on insurgent positions inside buildings outside the town, according to the statement.

The area in and around Haditha, was the scene where 14 marines and their translator were killed when their armored vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb blast.

US troops have launched several operations in recent months in the volatile Anbar province, which has long been a hotbed of insurgency against the US troops.

Source: Xinhua