Iraqi Troops Retake IS-held Ramadi Neighborhood

Ramadi, Iraq

Iraqi government troops have retaken parts of Ramadi from Islamic State fighters that seized the city earlier this year, officials in Baghdad announced Tuesday.

The retaking of the Al-Tameem neighborhood is a major success for pro-Baghdad forces, which have been battling Islamic State extremists in the area for months.

Backed by U.S.-led airstrikes, Iraqi forces have focused on encircling and cutting off supply lines around the city before launching a major offensive to retake it.

Last month, Iraqi officials announced they had retaken the Palestine Bridge, which crosses the Euphrates River and connects Ramadi to other extremist-held areas.

Government forces have struggled to make significant gains in rooting out IS fighters, who control wide swaths of Iraq and Syria.

IS fighters in May seized Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, in what was considered one of biggest setbacks for Baghdad this year.