Iraqi forces have completed the recapture of the town of Dhuluiyah, parts of which had been held by the Islamic State jihadist group for months, commanders say.
Pro-government forces had pushed into the town, located 90 kilometres outside Baghdad, from the north two days earlier, fighting their way south.
"Forces from the army and the police and (militiamen) and tribal fighters succeeded today in regaining control of Dhuluiyah," an army major general said.
The officer said that 50 military vehicles advanced from the north and linked up with allied forces in the town's southern Jubur area, which resisted repeated assault by IS.
This "means the complete liberation of Dhuluiyah and the end of the (IS) presence," he added.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
A leader in the Shi'ite Badr militia, which took part in the operation, confirmed the "complete liberation of Dhuluiyah".
"We succeeded in breaking the blockade which was imposed by (IS) on the Jubur tribe," the commander said.
People fired in the air and honked car horns in celebration, according to a policeman in the town, which is strategically located on roads linking the eastern province of Diyala to Salaheddin province in the north.
In October, Iraqi forces retook most of Dhuluiyah from IS, but the jihadists later launched a counter-offensive and were able to recapture ground.
Since Sunday government forces backed by Sunni tribesmen and Shi'ite militiamen have been clearing bombs and other explosives placed by the jihadists in various parts of the town.
