ISIS expands hold in Syria's ancient Palmyra

May 22, 2015 23:53

Iraqi security officials said on Friday that ISIS took control of Husayba -- a small town about 11 miles (17 kilometers) east of Ramadi and about 14 miles (22 kilometers) west of Habbaniya -- in an assault that involved car bombs and heavy machine gun fire.

It's the terror group's latest push east since they seized the key city of Ramadi, a milestone that a U.S. State Department official acknowledged is a major blow in coalition efforts to defeat ISIS.

Witnesses said the militants summarily executed people in the street whom they accused of working with the government.

"They were killing anyone who they accused of being with the police or the army," one witness told CNN.

The militants now appear to be heading towards al Khalidiya, the last town between Ramadi and Habbaniya's military base and airbase.

Habbaniya base has been designated a staging point for Iraqi security forces and Shiite militias in their attempt to retake Ramadi and the rest of Anbar province.

In recent days, thousands of people have crossed the Bzebiz Bridge, hoping that they'll be safer in Baghdad.

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