MOSCOW (Sputnik) — A vast majority of residents have returned to the western Iraqi town of Ar-Rutbah after it was freed from Islamist rule, its mayor told a local television channel on Sunday.
Daesh terrorists left the strategic Sunni town in March after a government offensive. It was one of the first towns captured by the Daesh terror group in Iraq in mid-2014.
"Some 70 percent of Ar-Rutbah residents have returned to their homes. The life – markets, shops – is getting back on track," town mayor Emad Dulaimi told the Alsumaria channel.
The Anbar province is home to Daesh stronghold Fallujah, where Iraqi forces are continuing their push against Islamists with the help of Shiite militias. Daesh terrorist group is banned in Russia, the United States and many other countries.
