Iraqi security forces on Thursday continued battles against the Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq's western province of Anbar, a provincial security source said.

The troops and allied Shiite and Sunni militias repelled an attack by the IS militants in the early morning when the militants blew up three suicide car bombs on a military base in Tharthar area, some 50 km north of the militant-seized city of Fallujah, and followed by attack of dozens of IS militants, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The troops engaged in heavy clashes with the attackers and managed to drive them out of the scene after killing 12 militants and wounding 17 others, the source said without giving details about the casualties among the security forces.

Separately, the security forces and government-backed militias covered by U.S.-led coalition aircraft attacked the IS positions near the IS-held town of Garma, just east of the city of Fallujah, some 50 km west of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, and managed to recapture three villages after fierce clashes with the IS militants, the source said without elaboration.

Meanwhile, battles continued in the provincial capital city of Ramadi, some 110 km west of Baghdad, as the troops regained control of Theilah district in central the city which was seized earlier by the extremist group, the source added.

The battles in Ramadi are part of ongoing clashes between the Iraqi forces and the IS militants who previously gained ground more than two weeks ago in Albu Farraj area and later expanded to captured more areas in eastern and central the city.

The security deterioration in Ramadi pushed the Iraqi government to send reinforcement troops to the city, giving the troops a push to regain ground in several district in the city, including Soufiyah in eastern Ramadi and Sharika during the past few days.

The IS group has seized most of Iraq's largest province of Anbar and tried to advance towards Baghdad, but several counter attacks by security forces and Shiite militias have pushed them back.

The security situation in Iraq has been drastically deteriorated since last June, when bloody clashes broke out between Iraqi security forces and the IS militants. Endit

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