BAGHDAD, October 27 (RIA Novosti) — Iraqi troops have sunk three boats with Islamic State (IS) fighters on board, who were attempting to attack a military base in Iraq's western Anbar province, the country's Interior Ministry said in a press release Monday.
The boats were full of arms and explosives, according to the statement.
"Three boats did not heed the coast guard's demand to stop and were fired upon. After their sinking it was revealed that the boats were loaded with explosives and weapons," the press release said.
The military base that was being targeted is located at Habbaniyah lake, some 12 miles from the major city of Ramadi. The IS have been fighting for territories in the Anbar province, on the border with Syria to the west since December 2013.
The IS, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) or Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), has been fighting the Syrian government since 2012. In June 2014, it launched an offensive in Iraq and seized vast areas in both countries, proclaiming an Islamic caliphate on the territories under its control. The United States and its allies are currently carrying out air raids against the insurgents in both countries.
