The offensive followed the Hawija offensive by the Iraqi Government, and was also concurrent with several major offensives in Syria: the Syrian Democratic Forces' Deir ez-Zor offensive, and the Syrian Government's Battle of Deir ez-Zor and Eastern Syria campaign on the opposite side of the Al-Qa'im border crossing.
The campaign[edit]
Al-Qaim[edit]
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced an offensive to recapture the western border region of al-Qaim and Rawa on 26 October.[17] 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, Lieutenant-General Abdul Amir Yarallah announced that they had cleared Umm al-Waz village, 55 kilometres (34 mi) south-east of al-Qa'im, and the H-2 Air Base, along with the nearby Husseiniyat area, 120 kilometres (75 mi) south of al-Qaim. According to the United Nations, around 50,000 people were still in al-Qaim and Rawa.[8] 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 kilometres (1.2 mi) west of Rawa.[18]
Iraqi Army's War Media Cell announced on 27 October that the Popular Mobilisation Units (PMU) had secured 43 kilometres (27 mi) of the Akashat-al-Qaim road and an area of 301 km2 (116.2 sq mi) (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 kilometres (25 mi) 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.[19]
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.[20] The JOC also reported that 33 villages had been recaptured from ISIL, within 2 days of the offensive.[21] The Defence Ministry stated on 29 October that Iraqi aeroplanes had dropped thousands of leaflets in ISIL-held areas of Anbar, urging militants to surrender.[22] 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.[23]
By 31 October, Iraqi forces had reached the edge of al-Qaim. The JOC announced that Iraqi forces, backed by United States' aerial strikes 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 centre of al-Qaim. Yarallah stated that they had also captured a cement plant and a phosphate processing facility.[24] 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.[25] Army Brigadier-General Numaan Abdul-Zobai said that they also captured villages of Rafedah and Al-Kasim to west of al-Qaim.[26] Minister of Oil Jabar al-Luaibi stated on 2 November that Iraq forces had captured the Akkas gas field.[27] 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.[28]